My Protector, My Everything
by JazzyJen
Summary: Nessie is now seventeen and hoping to gain some independence from her overprotective family and best friend Jacob. Will Jacob be able to explain his intentions? What happens when someone betrays the Wolf pack/Cullen alliance? Please read! My first story.
1. Chapter 1

**I'm not going to do a big set up here, so I'll just give you the basics. Renesmee's seventeen and hasn't yet learned of Jacob's imprinting. She is a hybrid, but has no special powers. Those of you who know the Twilight Saga, know the characters, so I didn't take time to introduce them, and not all are incorporated into the story.**

**All characters belong to Stephanie Meyer. **

**1.**

My upbringing was not like anyone else. I was a hybrid, which meant I wasn't allowed to go to public school until my growing had slowed down. I was home schooled until my ninth birthday, which in my case, made me technically seventeen. I grew faster then everyone else, both physically and emotionally. As much as I loved my family, I was eager to meet new people, and experience as much normalcy as I could.

Today was the day I was finally going to public school. It had taken a long time, but my parents had finally agreed to let me, so long as Jacob enrolled and kept an eye on me. Since Jacob had started phasing, he had stopped growing, freezing him in time as a sixteen year old. I had known him my whole life and he was my best friend.

I wasn't too thrilled to be watched over, but knowing Jake would be right there if I needed him was a comfort to me. Ever since I was born, he has been my protector. I wasn't too sure why I needed such close supervision, though my being a hybrid was apart of it. Whatever the case, I hoped to one day be free of such attention.

I threw my long auburn hair into a ponytail and quickly applied some light mascara to my lashes. I had no idea what to expect as far as what the other girls would dress like, but Alice had picked out and purchased an entire years supply of clothes for me. I winced at the outfit she had picked out for me; skinny jeans and a black sweater that showed off a bit of my right shoulder. I rolled my eyes at the jeans which to me were ridiculous.

"Renesmee, you're guard dog's here!" I heard Rosalie yell at me. I smiled at her bluntness. Despite her rudeness towards my best friend, she was my favorite aunt. I grabbed my new backpack and ran down the stairs.

Jacob stood next to her smiling ever so sweetly at her. She rolled her eyes and turned towards me.

"You look great Nessie, are you nervous?" I shrugged.

"I'm nervous about these stupid looking pants. What the hell was Alice thinking?" I asked while pulling on them. Alice flew around the corner and frowned at me.

"I was _thinking_ that these are all the rage right now and the last thing you want to do on your first day, is look like...well you." I smacked her stone arm.

"Watch it Pixie." I warned. She hugged me and gave me a kiss.

"Have a great day Ness!" I rolled my eyes and grabbed Jake's arm.

"Come on, let's get outta here." He grinned and gave Rosalie a little wave.

"Later Satin!" He said cheerfully. She snarled at him as we walked out the door.

"Are you nervous?" He asked me once we got in his truck. I shook my head bravely.

"No, I just don't know what to expect. It's not like I've ever _really_ hung out with humans before." He smiled at me.

"It's going to be fine, we have most of the same classes. If you start weirding people out I'll let you know." I returned his smile and rested my head on his shoulder.

"Thanks Jake."

It only took me an hour before I realized that high school was not something I should have pushed so hard for. The school was old and smelled the same, and the students all looked like they were miserable to be there. I spent most of my time with Jake and tried my hardest to stay out of everyone's way. I met a few girls in my English class who seemed nice, but the second they were out of ear site, automatically starting talking crap about me.

In math class, I noticed the guy next to me kept looking at me. I glanced at him and saw that he had a friendly smile and excited blue eyes. I gave him a smile before looking back down at my notes.

"Excuse me miss?" I felt my heart flutter at the sound of his voice. I turned to face him. His hair was light brown and his eyes were a dark blue. I had never had a crush on anyone before, but by the sudden race of my heart, I could tell he would be the first.

"I'm Eli, what's your name?" He asked sweetly.

"I'm Nessie." His raised an eyebrow at me.

"Nessie? Like the Lochness monster?" I laughed at him.

"Ya I've gotten that my whole life, thanks. It's actually short for Renesmee." He nodded at me.

"Ah I see, that's an interesting name. Are you new here?" I nodded.

"Yeah, I was home schooled until now." At this he cocked his head to the side.

"Do you like it so far?" I shook my head.

"Honestly no. I haven't met anyone nice yet. That is until just now." He grinned at me and then leaned forward.

"Who's been rude?" I pointed at the two girls from my last class. He looked at them and then laughed.

"Jessica and Lauren? I wouldn't worry about them, they hate anyone prettier than them. I think jealously is playing a hand in their behavior." I felt my face turn beat red.

"Well that's nice of you to say. I'll keep that in mind next time." I blushed. He winked at me as we turned to face the teacher.

After my last class, I ran out to meet Jake at his truck. He was talking to the same two girls who had made fun of me. They were giggling at everything he said and one of them, kept smacking his arm. I felt my eyes roll as I walked towards them. Jake's eyes lit up when he saw me.

"Nessie!" I smiled as he pulled me into a huge hug. The girls took a step back but their eyes never left Jake. He put his arm playfully around my shoulder.

"Girls this is Nessie, my best friend. Ness, this is Jessica and Lauren." I nodded.

"Yes, I met them already. They seem a bit more chatty with you though." One of the girls, Lauren I think, raised an eyebrow at me.

"Well Nessie, we'll have to talk more later. It's hard to talk to anyone when you're in the middle of class ya know." I smiled extra sweetly at her.

"You two didn't seem to have that much of a problem continuing the conversation after we parted." Jessica's eyes were full of concern as she realized that I had heard them. Lauren jumped in to distract Jake.

"Jacob, you have to come to my party next weekend, only the who's who will be there." He laughed at this.

"The who's who of Forks huh? Well we couldn't miss that now could we Ness?" I shook my head. Lauren started to protest when Jessica grabbed her arm and began to pull her away.

"See you guys there! Let's get going Lauren." She waved at us before turning away. I groaned and opened the truck door. Jake eyed me suspiciously before getting in himself.

"What was that all about?" he questioned.

"Those girls were talking shit about me after I met them." I shrugged. He shook his head disapprovingly.

"Ness you can't eavesdrop like that, it's not fair."

"I can't help it that I can over hear _everything! _I don't mean to do it, it's just my sensitive hearing. Besides, they shouldn't be saying things like that anyway, they don't even know me." Jake sighed.

"They are teenage girls Nessie, they _all_ do that, trust me." I huffed.

"So that makes it okay then?"

"Once they've gotten to know you, I'm sure it will stop. Maybe at the party you should try talking to them." I frowned at him.

"First of all, my parents wouldn't let me go to a party, secondly, you actually want to go?"

"They will let you go if I'm with you, and yes, I do want to to go and you should too."

"Why should I want to go?" I pressed.

"Because your whole argument for going to public school was to get the whole high school experience. Guess what Ness? This is it." I nodded.

"You're right, I just think those girls aren't worth my time _or_ yours. But then again, I can see why you would want to go." He smiled.

"Oh yeah? Why's that?"

"Well they obviously were into you. I could practically hear them fighting over you already." He laughed.

"Here we go, more eavesdropping!" He teased. I crossed my arms.

"I'm serious Jake! They were flirting with you and were pissed when I showed up."

Jake rolled his eyes.

"I have no interest in either one of them. I'm not going here to meet girls, I'm here because you're here." He tugged my hair before turning on the truck and pulling out.

Once we got home, Alice came flying out of the house.

"Renesmee! How was it?" She opened my door for me and yanked me out. I laughed at her enthusiasm and followed her inside.

"It was okay, nothing like the movies though." She winked at me.

"I saw that you met a boy..." I blushed and shook my head.

"It was nothing, just a nice guy who introduced himself to me." She grinned at me before jumping up and down.

"I can't wait to dress you for your first date!"

"First date?" I heard Jacob inquire. I turned to see him standing in the doorway with a concerned expression. I sighed.

"No, Alice is just overreacting to some guy I met." She shook her head back and forth.

"Nope, he's going to ask you out, I saw it!" She giggled. I pushed her and walked away.

"Knock it off Alice, I don't want you telling me my future. The whole point of my going to school is to experience it on my own. No more peeking into my future okay?" She pouted before nodding. I rolled my eyes and headed up the stairs.

"Who's this guy?" Jake asked as he followed me into my room. I threw my bag onto the window seat and kicked off my shoes.

"His name's Eli, he's in my math class. He was just being friendly, nothing more." Jacob stood up straight and crossed his arms.

"Alice didn't seem to think it was nothing. He's going to ask you out, how are you going to handle that?" I shrugged.

"I don't know. I guess I'll just have to convince mom and dad to let me go." His eyes grew wide as he walked over to me in just a few strides.

"You are going to say yes? How can you just go out with some guy you just met? He could be a major creep for all you know."

"Jacob I'm not an idiot! If he's a jerk I won't go out with him again. God, how am I supposed to meet anyone if you are always watching me like a hawk and trying to order me around? Besides, isn't dating supposed to be apart of the high school experience?" Jake sat next to me, shaking from anger.

"If you go out with this guy, you know I'll have to go too." I shot up and glared down at him.  
"Jacob Black don't you dare even _think_ about following me! If I go out with Eli, or anyone else for that matter, you are not to spy on us! That is _my_ business and you have no right to..." He stood up to face me.

"No right to what? Make sure you aren't raped? Make sure you're safe? I have an obligation to fulfill and there's no way you are going to.."

"Going to what Jake?" I interrupted him. "Grow up? Make my own choices? Date? I have every right to do go out with Eli and I'm going to!" Suddenly my dad was in my room glaring at Jacob.

"Jacob, why are you yelling at my daughter?" His voice was filled with venom as he starred Jake down. I ran next to him.

"Dad would you please explain to dense Jacob, that I am fully capable of making my own choices?" Jake starred back at him, his eyes black with furry. I waited for dad's response but he continued to lock eyes with Jake. They continued their silent conversation before my dad eventually nodded and turned toward me.

"Renesmee, Jacob is simply looking out for your welfare. I don't think there's cause for anymore yelling, from either one of you. As far as this boy is concerned, I will have to meet him before you go anywhere with him. Do you understand me?" He waited for my response as I glared at Jake.

"Renesmee Cullen?" He asked again. I crossed my arms and groaned in defeat.

"Yes dad."

He nodded at Jake before leaving the room. I threw my hands in the air.

"What did you tell him? How is it that my own father takes your side over mine?"

"He simply took my concerns as a sign that I care. I don't mean to overreact Ness, I just don't want you to get hurt. I'm sorry." I watched his guilty face and it melted my heart. For being such a tough guy, he certainly had a soft side. I closed the gap between us and put my arms around his waist.

"I know, I'm sorry too. It's just hard being watched over constantly. I'm just never going to be a normal teenager." He brushed my cheek before bending down to kiss it.

"You are perfect. It's a good thing you aren't a normal teenager, you wouldn't be you if you were one." I smiled at him and laid my head against his chest.

"Jake?" I asked quietly.

"Hm?" He breathed. I bit my lip, a little confused as how to ask.

"Have you ever had a girlfriend?" I asked. I felt his body stiffen as he cleared his throat.

"No, not yet." He answered flatly.

"Why not?" I pried. He shrugged his broad shoulders.

"Not sure, I guess the right girl hasn't taken notice yet." I pulled away from him to look at his face. He seemed lost in thought and I hoped I hadn't wounded his ego by asking.

"Are you shy when it comes to girls? I mean asking them out?"

"No, I just haven't met anyone who I was interested in enough to ask. Why are you asking me about my love life?" I shrugged and placed my head back on his chest.

"No reason, I just have never heard you bring up a girl."

"Well, how could I talk about another girl when I'm hanging out with the best one?" He joked. I gave him a tight hug.

"You are the best." I said into his neck. He pulled me in tighter.

"So are you."


	2. Chapter 2

**2.**

I sat in my room waiting for Jake to pick me up for the party. _I can't believe I actually agreed to this._ Worst of all, the outfit Alice picked for me was humiliating. I was in a short black strapless dress that showed off more than I'd like and was wearing a pair of red heels. "Statement shoes" she had referred to them as. My long locks were straightened and parted to the side with one clip. The makeup I liked, it was smokey but not over done.

"Nessie! I'm here!" I heard Jake call. I took one last look at my reflection before grabbing my purse and heading downstairs. I saw Jake talking with my dad and Emmett about football.

"I'm ready." I said, alerting him of my presence. All three of them starred at me in disbelief before my dad and Jake both shouted, "What are you wearing?"

I rolled my eyes and looked at Alice who was beaming with pride.

"That's _exactly _the response I was hoping for!" She said clapping. My dad threw his hands in the air.

"Are you crazy Alice? I'm not letting her go out like that!" I could tell that he was having a hard time looking at me. Jake walked over to me and removed his leather jacket to put it over my shoulders.

"God Ness, cover up! Go change into something less revealing." He said uncomfortably. Their reaction to my clothes made me suddenly feel confidant. If this outfit made them uncomfortable, maybe it did look good.

"Ya know what? I kinda like it." I smiled. Alice nodded her head.

"That's right, it looks fabulous and it _does not_ show off too much. You two are just overprotective and have no sense of fashion. She's seventeen and is a woman now. Jake will be there with her if anything were to happen." My dad seemed silenced as my mother walked in and gasped.

"Renesemee! You look beautiful! Good job Alice!" Dad and Jake's mouths dropped again at her excitement.

"Bella," Jake plead. "You can't seriously be okay with her going like that? Guys are going to drool!" She smiled at him.

"As they should! She looks incredible." She gave me a wink and whirled me around to get a full look.

"Love, are you sure?" My dad asked nervously. She nodded her head.

"Oh yes, she will be fine. Jake will watch over her." Jacob held his hands up.

"Okay, but I will not be held responsible if I end up beating someone's ass by the end of the night." He took my arm and guided me towards the door. I blew my dad a kiss and said goodbye to everyone.

"Are you sure about this Ness?" Jake asked me as we pulled up to the party. I rolled my eyes at him.

"I'll be fine, Jake! Jeez calm down." He groaned and got out of the truck to open the door for me.

"Stay where I can see you okay? This house is huge." I looked at the grand house in awe. My family had money but never made much show of it. I guessed that Lauren's parents were just as snobby as she was.

We entered the house to find at least fifty people we went to school with. I noticed that there was a keg and tons of empty bottles and cans everywhere. I hadn't thought about drinking tonight, but the thought was intriguing. I knew that Jake would never allow it, but I could try to sneak a beer, just to see what it tasted like.

"Jake! You came!" I turned my attention back to Jake and a drunk Lauren in his face. She was wearing a skimpy pink dress that left little to the imagination. He smiled at her and wrapped his arm around my shoulder.

"Hey Lauren. You have an awesome place!" She grinned at him and gave me the once over.

"Wow, Rachel you look different! I didn't expect that _you'd_ show up." Her small frame wobbled from side to side as I tried to think of a response to her slurred words.

"_Renesmee_ and I are kind of a packaged deal Lauren. Is that going to be a problem?" He asked her sternly. She looked at me for a moment before throwing her hands in the air.

"Nah! The more the merrier I always say! Go get a drink and come find me later!" With that, she turned away from us and ran into the bathroom.

"Ten bucks she just threw up!'' Jake laughed.

"Twenty it won't be the last time this evening!" I challenged him. He threw his head back cracking up.

After our encounter with a drunken Lauren, I opted not to drink. The last thing I needed was to be labeled at my first party.

"Do you want something to drink?" Jacob asked. I nodded and followed him into the kitchen. He grabbed two bottled waters and handed one to me.

"Thanks." I mumbled. We drank in silence for a few minutes before I heard Jessica's loud squealing.

"Jacob and Renesmee! I'm so glad you came!" She ran over to us and gave me a half heart ed hug.

"You look so pretty Renesmee! Did you do your hair and makeup yourself?" Her fake interest was enough to make me vomit but I played nice.

"My aunt wanted to fix me up. You look amazing." She glanced down at her mini skirt and blew it off.

"Oh this is nothing, I just threw it on! You know how it is!" I nodded, pretending to understand what she was talking about. Her eyes lit up as she grabbed a guy from behind her.

"Oh! You just have to meet my cousin Mike! He's a senior and he's hilarious! Get over here Mike!" She pulled Mike in front of me and introduced us.

"Mike this Renesmee and Jacob. They are both new to our school." He held his hand out and shook our hands.  
"Nice to meet you both, especially you Renesmee." He gave me little smile and I felt my face turn bright red.

"You too Mike." I said. He was cute, tall and strong with dirty blond hair and blue eyes. Something about the way he was looking at me, made me think that he thought I was more than cute. Jake cleared his throat and stepped in.

"So you're a senior then? We're only sophomores." He said. I threw him a look that clearly said "knock it off". He ignored me and continued with the implications.

"You eighteen yet?" He questioned. Mike took a swig of his beer.

"I just turned eighteen a month ago." Jake nodded deep in thought.

"Yeah, she just turned seventeen, not legal just yet." He said sadly. I elbowed him in the ribs just as Jessica pulled his arm.

"Jacob there's some people I want you to meet!" She cooed. He reluctantly went with her, but kept me in his sight. I groaned and flashed Mike an apologetic look.

"Sorry about that, he's my best friend and is a little too protective of me sometimes." I explained. He shrugged his shoulders.

"It's cool, I can see why he'd have to be, you are gorgeous." He winked at me before finishing his beer.

"How are you liking high school so far?" He asked.

"It's nothing exciting, but nothing unbearable." He laughed at my response.

"Yeah, I can't wait for college. I'm going to get as far away from this town as I can. I'm thinking New York or LA. How bout you? What are your plans?"

"I'm sure an ivy league school. My grandpa and father are both graduates of Harvard. That's sort of the direction I've been pushed my whole life." He raised an eyebrow at me.

"So you're a bookworm huh? I like hot nerds." He smirked at me. I giggled at his bluntness.

"You don't hold back do you?" I asked. He leaned in closer to me.

"I usually get what I want, yes." He returned. I wasn't sure if I was flattered or creeped out by him. He was forward but also friendly.

"Do you want to dance?" He asked politely. I glanced over in Jake's direction and noticed that he was deep in conversation with a few guys. I nodded excitedly and took his hand before Jacob had time to interfere.

He led me to the living room where tons of people were already dancing. I laughed as he twirled me into the crowd and started dancing. I tried my best to imitate what the others girls were doing. The song was an uptempo r&b song and I did my best to look like I knew what I was doing. He placed his hands on my waist and slowly got closer to me. I placed my hands loosely on his shoulders and followed his rhythm. _At least one of us knows what they're doing._

As the song went on, Mike kept getting closer and closer to me. I tried to flirtatiously move away from him, but he just turned me around and began to gyrate his hips into my back side. I grabbed his hands off my hips and pushed him away. He grinned slyly at me before wrapping his arm around me and pulling me back into him with more force.

"Get off her _now_!" I heard Jacob sneer. Jacob stood next to us with a murderous expression. Mike looked over at him and laughed.  
"Calm down friend, we're just dancing and getting to know each other." He moved his other arm down my thigh and rubbed me. Jake's huge hand planted firmly on his shoulder, forcing him to a stand still.

"First of all, I am not your friend. Second of all, if you don't let her go this instant, the only thing you you'll be getting to know is my fist and the floor." He growled. Mike got the message and immediately held his hands up in surrender. Jake grabbed my arm and pulled me towards the door.

"We leaving now." I nodded as he placed his coat over my shoulders.

Once outside, he took me in his arms and kissed my forehead.

"Are you okay? Did he do anything to you?" He asked frantically. I shook my head.

"No, he was just a little too comfortable with touching me." I said quietly. He growled and began to shake.

"Careful Jake," I warned. "I'm fine and I don't think you should phase with so many people around." He took a deep breath and nodded.

"Okay, I'm fine, but the next time I tell you to stay in my sight, _please _listen. It's to protect you." He said sternly. I smiled at him and nodded.

"As long as you promise to not over react to guy noticing me." I added. He exhaled loudly and shook m hand.

"Deal."

As we drove away, I pointed at a girl throwing up in the bushes.

"Look." Jake stretched his head to see Lauren and busted into laughter.

"Looks like you won the bet!" We both cracked up, leaving the party behind us.

I decided to devote my entire weekend to Jake since we'd both been so busy with school. I knew that I had to make it a point to spend time with him, especially since things had gotten a little tense between us. I woke up early Saturday morning, hoping to surprise Jake at his house.

I took a quick shower and threw my hair back into a pony tail. After throwing on a pair of jeans and one of Jake's old hoodies, I ran out the door towards the Black residence.

When I reached his house, I was pleased to see that his truck was in the driveway. I snuck into the house quietly, hoping to catch him by surprise. I peaked into his room to hear the shower running. I sighed, a little disappointed that I didn't catch him still asleep.

I looked around his room and smiled at the familiar space. Everything was normal, his laundry basket was overflowing with clothes, and his car magazines littered the floor. I took a deep breath and enjoyed the scent of him. He had the most distinct scent. To me it smelled like earth and home.

I noticed the framed picture of us on his desk. It was taken the day of Sam and Emily's wedding two years ago. We were smiling and hugging each other. I smiled as I remembered how uncomfortable he had been in that tux. For such a big guy, he sure was a baby.

As I put the picture down, I caught site of a stake of envelopes piled up in an open drawer. I squinted as I thought I saw the return address was from NYU. Without delay, I grabbed the stack of large envelopes. I shifted through them, beyond shocked. Harvard, Yale, Brown, WSU, all acceptance letters. How could Jake not have told me? When had he even applied? Confusion and anger swept through me as I tried to make excuses for him.

"Nessie! When did you get here..." I turned to face a worried Jake. He stood in the bathroom doorway arms crossed, starring at the envelopes. He waited for me to speak. I held them up.

"How," I sputtered, trying to find the right words. "Why didn't you tell me? All year you've never mentioned anything about applying anywhere. In fact, I recall "Forks Community College" escaping your lips on several occasions!" I threw the stack onto his desk, knocking over our picture. Jake rushed over to set it neatly in it's place.

"Careful Ness! I love that picture." I shook my head in annoyance.

"I just found out you've been lying to me Jake. I want an explanation, now." He took a step towards me, his towering figure almost seemed to cower in front of me. His black eyes starred at me apologetic.

"I'm not going to any of them Nessie. I applied to prove to myself that I could be accepted." I frowned.

"What do you mean you're not going?" He shrugged.

"Just what I said. There's nothing more to it. I didn't tell you because I never actually planned on going." I stepped back unable to make sense of any of it.

"Jake, how can you not go? All of these schools are, well, look at them! Yale? Brown? _Harvard?_" I pointed at the messy stalk in amazement. " Do you have any idea about the kinds of opportunities you have here?" I had no idea just how brilliant Jake was, he never mentioned his grades. Not to say I ever doubted his intelligence, but I never expected this.

He placed his arm around my shoulder and led me towards the door.

"Let's go do something, I'll even let you pick." I spun out of his grasp, making him groan.

"Renesme, just drop it okay? I was curious that's all!"

"Then why did you bother applying?" I demanded. "How can you go to a community college when ivy league schools want you? This doesn't make any sense Jacob Black!" We scowled at each other for a few moments before some sort of realization came to his face.

"You actually want me to go." He stated quietly. I starred back at my friend, unable to comprehend his expression. He looked upset that I wanted him to go to school.

"Of course I do! This is amazing Jake, you should be proud of yourself. Have you even told your dad?" He nodded. "And? What did he say?" I pushed.

"He thought it was pretty cool." That was it? Just pretty cool?

"What does he think you should do?" He smiled.

"He thinks I should do whatever is best for me. I could always go in a couple years Ness."

"Why not now? What's stopping you? Is it the money? You know my parents would gladly," He held up an enormous hand.

"No Nessie! Not at all necessary. I can get plenty of scholarships."

"Then why wait?" He exhaled loudly before giving me a mischievous grin.

"I can't leave my Nessie here! Who would I annoy? I doubt those ivy league kids have as much fun as we do." He lightly pulled my ponytail. Suddenly I figured it all out.

"You're not going because of me." The playfulness on Jake's face suddenly disappeared, leaving a look of anguish.

"Yes." He said quietly. His tone was so decided I knew I wouldn't be able to change his mind. I walked past him to the door, defeated. I turned my head to him.

"You owe it to yourself to live up to your potential Jake. You deserve better than being my guard dog."

"Renesmee!" I heard him start to protest as I took off towards my house.

I climbed into my bed that night feeling depressed. If it wasn't for me being half human, half vampire, I wouldn't be such a burden on everyone. Jake would be able to go wherever he wanted with no ties. He wouldn't have to devote his life to my safety.

"Nessie?" I heard someone whisper outside my window. I didn't even have to wonder who it was.

"Jake I don't want to talk right now." I could hear him climbing my drain pipe. I sat up just as he appeared behind the glass. I sighed and went to open the window.

He was flushed and sweaty from running.

"I need to talk to you kid, let me explain something to you." I glared at him, contemplating whether to let him in or not. His eyes pleaded with me as I crossed my arms, standing my ground.

"Please, it will only take a few minutes." I finally nodded and stepped aside so he could climb in. His huge body slowly squeezed through and fell onto the floor. "Shit!" He cried. I tried not to laugh as he awkwardly stood up. No, I thought. He's not getting off that easily.

"Spit it out Jake." I commanded. He faced me and smiled.

"Thanks Ness." He put his hands on his hips and cocked his head to the side.

"You know why I can't go. I have to know you're safe, I need to be near you. There's no way I'm going anywhere unless you are there too." I frowned.

"So what, you're just going to follow me my entire life" He nodded.

"I promised Edward and Bella that I would always look after you. Even when you are old, even when when you're with a man who devotes his life to the same cause. I will always be around, just in case." I walked to my bed and sat down.

"As sweet as that is Jake, it isn't realistic or right for you to waste your life protecting me." He kneeled down in front of me.

"I would only be wasting my life by staying away from you. The choices I have made are the right ones."

"I can't believe they asked this of you. How could they?" He took my small hands into his large ones.

"The promise I made Nessie, was not only to your parents, but to my heart. A promise that is not an obligation, but a privilege. I am happy when I am with you, I can't leave you."

"You can't _not_ go to school Jake." I said. "I won't let you not live up to your potential. It would make me unhappy to watch you throw your life away." He squeezed my hands.

"That is why you are my best friend Ness, because you care so much for my happiness. I didn't want you to find out about the acceptances, because I was going to surprise you."

"When?" He grinned from ear to ear.

"I knew you'd get into one of those schools, so I applied early to ensure that I would be accepted into the same schools. If I failed to be accepted into any one of them, I would have an entire year to reapply. Then when you decided which one you wanted to attend, I would go with you." My mouth dropped in shock.

"You mean, you are going to go?"

"We are going_ together_. That way I will make you proud of me, and I will keep my promise." I threw my arms around him.

"Thank you Jake!" He rubbed my back and kissed the top of my head.

"Thank you for making me challenge myself."

I woke up Monday morning feeling a sense of security knowing that Jake and I were doing better. Like every other morning, he picked me up in his truck and drove me to school.

"I can't wait for this quarter to be over," Jake groaned next to me. I shoved my math book in my locker and grabbed my biology book. "I am so tired of Mr. Johnson's boring lectures." I turned to him and offered a smile.

"Only a few more months to go buddy. You can make it." He returned my smile and patted my head.

"Thanks kid." I groaned at this.

"Don't call me kid, I hate that!" He laughed for a moment before his eyes darkened. I frowned and turned around to see Eli grinning behind me.

"Hi Ness!" He said happily before acknowledging Jacob. "What's up Black?" Jacob nodded at him before taking a step back from us. Eli ignored his rudeness and smiled at me.

"So I was wondering if you might want to see a movie with me Friday night and maybe grab something to eat?" I opened my mouth to answer him when I heard Jacob grumble, "That's original," under his breath. I shot daggers at him before returning my attention to Eli.

"I would love to, thanks. Where should I meet you?" Eli shrugged his shoulders.

"I can pick you up if you'd like?" I nodded shyly.

"I'll text you my address on Friday then."

"Sounds good, looking forward to it." He smiled at me one last time before walking away. I turned on my heel to see Jacob practically gagging.

"What now?" I groaned. He crossed his arms.

"Dinner and a movie for a first date? Talk about boring. You can't even talk during a movie! How are you supposed to get to know each other? What a pansy." He commented. I rolled my eyes.

"You need to chill out. He's really nice and a dinner and a movie sounds wonderful." Jake took a step towards me.

"All I'm saying is that I wouldn't plan such an ordinary date for such an extraordinary girl. I would have put more thought into it than that." I felt my blush appear at his words. He was looking at me strangely and I pulled away in response. I didn't like it when he made me feel so edgy.

"Well, you didn't ask me out so you don't have to worry about it." I threw back at him. His eyes narrowed causing my heart rate to accelerate.

"What if I did?" He asked me quietly, holding my gaze. He put his hand against my locker, forcing me into it. My breathing was getting deeper as I felt a strange jolt hit me.

"But you wouldn't." I whispered. He stared into my eyes for a few more moments, debating whether to challenge me or not. He eventually left my comfort zone and took a deep breath.

"Later Nessie." I watched him walk away, not sure what to make of what had just happened. _What they hell was going on?_


	3. Chapter 3

**3.**

I looked at the clock Friday evening and gulped when I saw the time. Eli would be here in an hour and I felt hardly presentable. Alice had my hair in a million rollers and was doing my makeup. I sighed impatiently.

"How much longer Alice? I still have to brush my teeth and get dressed!" She started to pull the curlers out and then finger combed them out.

"Relax Nessie! You're going to sweat off the makeup! Give me a few more minutes to shape and spray your curls." I groaned but knew that I could trust her. Rose entered the room holding the outfit they had picked out for me to wear.

I eyed the dark jeans and black blouse combo. It wasn't bad, and casual for our low key date. I nodded at Rosalie and she set the outfit next to me.

Once Alice had finished, I looked in the mirror and was pleasantly surprised. My hair fell over my shoulders in loose curls and my makeup was a bit thicker than I usually applied it. I hugged Alice and then headed upstairs to change.

I heard the doorbell ring at exactly seven o'clock and instantly felt nervous. When I heard my father and mother talking to Eli, I ran downstairs.

Eli was standing just inside the door, laughing with my mom. He looked nicer than he normally did and his hair was slightly brushed. When he saw me he beamed and gave a small wave.

"Hi Ness! You look great!" I smiled in return.

"You do too Eli." I grabbed my purse and anxiously waited while my dad gave him the third degree.

"I expect her home before twelve young man, and I expect that she will be returned unharmed and completely sober." He starred Eli down waiting for a response.

"Yes sir, and I'm sure I'll have her back before twelve." He gave my parents a handshake before holding the door open for me.

"Night guys." I said to them before leaving.

When we arrived at the movies, Eli sat me down in the theater so that I wouldn't have to wait in the snack line. I requested a diet soda and popcorn. Once he had left, I frantically opened my purse to reapply my powder.

"You don't need any of that you know." I jumped at the voice and then groaned when I realized who it was.

"What the hell are you doing here Jake?" He shrugged his shoulders.

"I just wanted to see a movie, I hear this one's lame though." He sat in the seat next to me and offered me some popcorn. I looked around in a panic, hoping that Eli wouldn't walk in and see him.

"Jacob Black! You need to leave, I am on a date with Eli!" I hissed. He raised his eyebrows with interest.

"Is that tonight? What a coincidence, I'd forgotten all about that."

"I know what you're trying to do so knock it off! Now get out of here before he comes back!" I snapped at him. He held his hands up as if to surrender. He stood up and went back two rows behind me.

"Further back Jake!" I yelled. He groaned and jumped over two more rows before slamming into a seat in frustration. I sat facing the screen in annoyance. _How dare he interfere with my date! Who the hell does he think he is?_

"They were out of popcorn and had to make more, sorry I took so long." Eli was suddenly right next to me handing me the bag and cup.

"Thanks." I said. He sat to my right and grinned.

"I'm really excited to see this movie! I heard it's great!" I looked over my shoulder to see Jake rolling his eyes.

The night didn't get any better. Jake followed us wherever we went yet managed to not be discovered by Eli. At dinner I tried to listen to Eli, but Jake made it difficult by sitting right behind him. Every now and then, Jake would give me a wink. I could feel my veins burning with anger. I could kill him for spying on me. I had looked forward to my first date my entire life, and he was ruining it.

"So how do you know Jacob?" I shook myself back to Eli.

"Oh, he's a friend of the family. I've known him my whole life." Eli raised his eyebrows.

"Have you guys ever dated?" He asked me. I glanced at Jake to see that his eyes were now on his food.

"No, never." I answered. He nodded understanding.

"It can be hard when you are such good friends. I can see that he cares about you though." He added. I didn't quite understand why we were discussing Jacob.

"I'm sorry Eli but could we not talk about Jacob? He's been pissing me off lately." I threw out more for Jake's ears than Eli's. Eli bit his lip and looked at the table.

"Him following us must not help much either." He laughed. I shook my head.

"I'm so sorry Eli! I had no idea he was going to do that! I promise you I'll let him have it later. He had no right to impose like that." I said apologetically. Eli shrugged his shoulders and reached for his wallet.

"Don't worry about it, I get that it's hard for him to watch his best friend date. I like you Renesme, but I don't want to step on any toes here and I especially don't want to hurt your friendship." I said honestly. I opened my mouth to explain, but all that came out was a sigh. He laid the bills on the table and stood up.

"Thanks for the fun, I'll see you at school." He gave me a hug before turning around. When he reached Jacob, he held his hand out and Jake shook it.

"How's it going Black?" Eli said before he left the restaurant.

I stayed seated, trying to progress what had just happened. I saw Jake through my peripherals walking towards me. I kept my eyes down, trying to fight the tears.

He sat cautiously in front of me.

"Nessie?" He breathed. I started to shake my head, trying to control myself.

"Please, Ness. Say something." He reached out to hold my hands but I pulled them away at supernatural speed. Jake closed his eyes, waiting for me.

"Why? Why did you do that?" I asked him. He starred into my face.

"I had to, you know that." He said softly.

"Take me home."

The ride home was silent except for Jake's occasional pleas to talk to him. I looked out the window the whole time, unable to make myself look at him. I was so furious I couldn't do anything but think about how he had ruined my evening.

Once we reached the house, I jumped out of the car and flew inside.

"Nessie!" I heard him call after me. I slammed the door shut and locked it before turning towards the stairs. I heard Jake trying to open the door, but I ignored him and walked up the stairs.

I laid down on my bed, letting the tears fall. My life would never be normal, no matter how much I wanted it to be.

"Nessie please!" I heard Jake yelling beneath my window. I climbed under my covers and closed my eyes, waiting for sleep.

Suddenly I heard a loud thump against the glass. I shot up to see Jake at my window. _That's it! _I jumped out of bed and ran over to the window. I opened the window so hard I heard the glass crack.

"What?" I yelled at him. He climbed inside and stood up, towering above me. I shook with fury.

"Are you _insane_? I thought I made it quite clear that I didn't want to talk to you!" He kept a stone face, but I could tell that my words hurt him.

"Nessie, we need to talk and I am not leaving here until you let me explain a few things." I glared at him.

"There is nothing you can say that will make up the fact that you ruined my date! Why can't you just back off and let me live my life!" I shouted at him.

"You know why! I have to protect you!" He yelled back.

"I don't _want_ your protection! I want you to stop following me around and treating me like a little kid!" He took a step towards me, his eyes on fire.

"I don't think of you that way! But you are too important for me not to protect you Nessie! Don't you get it? Don't you understand that by now? You are everything to me!" He sighed loudly and dropped his head into his hands. I watched him as he silently scolded himself. I wasn't sure how to react, but apart of my longed to hold him in my arms.

He sat down on my bed and ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. We remained silent for a few minutes while we calmed down. Once his breath had gotten back to normal, he looked up at me with tears in his eyes.

"I want you to be happy, and if that means removing myself from the picture, then I'll do it." I felt my heart drop at his words.

"I don't want that Jake! How could you even say that?" I cried. He shook his head and rose to his feet.

"I don't want that either, but what you're asking of me can't be done. As long as I am in your life, I will be watching over you." He headed towards the window and started to climb through.

"I'm sorry." He whispered before disappearing out the window.


	4. Chapter 4

**4.**

The next night I found an envelope on the doorstep. I picked it up and smiled when I saw "Nessie" written in Jake's handwriting. I opened it and unfolded the paper inside.

_Meet me where we spend our summer nights. Love, Jake._

I threw my shoes on and headed towards our pond. It was designed by Esme, a beautiful pond set in the middle of a thick forest. There

was an arched bridge that crossed it, leading to the trail that took you to the river. It was mine and Jake's special place.

When I neared the pond, I gasped at what I saw. The pathway leading towards the pond was lit up with candles and littered in rose petals. The trees surrounding the pond were lit up with white twinkle lights and candles floated on the pond. The early evening's fog combined with the abundance of candles, created a warm glow.

"Jake?" I called out. I saw his dark silhouette standing on the bridge. He held his hand out towards me, silently requesting my presence.

I walked to him smiling timidly. Once my hand reached his, he placed a soft kiss on my cheek.

"Thanks for coming kid." He laughed. I looked around us at the beautiful setting.

"What's all this for Jake?"

"I'm sorry for the way things have been lately. I never wanted to upset you. I did mean what I said, but I should have handled it differently. You're not a child anymore Ness, I know that more then anyone." He cleared his throat, clearly uncomfortable.

"Can you forgive your overprotective friend?" I hugged him close.

"Of course, I can. I know why you did what you did Jake" He smiled faintly.

"I know. There are things I can't tell you. Things that are best left unsaid." I frowned.

"What are you talking about? We're best friends, you can tell me anything." He sighed heavily.

"If I do, things will never be the same between us. Are you prepared for that Ness? To know things that will change everything?" He looked into my eyes, making me nervous.

"I _think_ so." I replied quietly. He nodded once before taking a few steps away from me. He seemed to be trying to find the right words.

"The thing is Ness, you are very important to me. More so than you will ever realize. And there's a reason for that. It's confusing and different, but if you promise to be open minded and patient with me, I will tell you everything." I took a deep breath and nodded. He leaned against the railing arms folded.

"Before you were born, I loved your mother. Very much. She was my best friend, the first girl I ever fell for. She was amazing. So much fun, smart, and stubborn. In a way, a lot like you." He smiled warmly at me. "I knew her when we were little, but she moved to Arizona before we ever really got to know each other. When she moved back to Forks, we were reacquainted and became friends. Not long after her arrival, she met your dad. At this time I hadn't phased yet and had only heard rumors about him and his family. Members of the tribe didn't like them, made up weird, supernatural stories. Or so I thought." He laughed to himself.

"One day, your dad and family left Forks, leaving Bella behind. It crushed her, she was so broken down that even I couldn't fix her." He eyed me. "Have you heard this story before?"

I nodded. "Yeah, you helped mom through their separation." He shrugged.

"I tried, but I was never able to be enough for her. It was during this time that I first phased. I had to keep it a secret, but your mom figured it out. I tried to stay away from her, phasing can be dangerous and I didn't want to hurt her. But Bella being Bella wouldn't allow it. We were quite a strange pair her and I." He chuckled at the memory.

"I tried to win her over, but she was devoted to Edward. One night Alice showed up unexpectedly and told her that Edward was going to see the Volturi." I shivered at the name. He raised an eyebrow at me.

"You've heard that story right? When she went to Italy to save him?" I nodded slowly.

"Well," he continued. "I begged her not to go, but she was decided. It broke my heart to watch her leave, knowing that any hopes I had were demolished. After they were reunited, I knew my fight for her would be nearly impossible to win. Their love was stronger than ever. I hated Edward, everything about him. What he was, what he did to her, even the way he was nice to me. I couldn't understand how she could want to be a blood sucker like him. The idea of it was repulsive." He turned to me,

"Of course, I don't feel that way anymore." He said reassuring me. I nodded as he pushed on.

"As time went on, myself and my tribe realized that the Cullen's were different. They were always trying to protect the innocent from other blood suck... I mean vampires. They had somehow managed to maintain a conscious. And the fact that they loved her and were willing to _die_ in order to keep her safe, was amazing to me. But I still wanted her for myself." His eyes were far away, and I couldn't help but feel concerned.

"Jake, are you trying to tell me that you're in love with my mother?" He shook his head rapidly.

"No no Ness! I do love your mother, but the love I have for her now is like the love I have for my family and my tribe. I would do anything for her, and I even love your dad if you can believe it."

"So why are you telling me all of this? How did you stop loving my mother?"

"Your parents eventually got married,and it killed me. I knew she was throwing away her life, but I had to let her go. It was the hardest thing I'd ever had to do."

"When they returned from their honeymoon, we were all shocked to discover that she was pregnant. No one ever thought that it was possible, not even Carlisle. We didn't know what to expect, but the reality was worse than what we ever could have imagined." I listened carefully, shocked that no one had ever told me any of this.

"What happened Jake?" I asked wide eyed.

"You were so strong that with every kick, a bruise would develop on her skin. You even broke her bones. You had complete control over her body, but she didn't care. She refused to terminate the pregnancy, no matter what happened to her. She made us promise her. You were a miracle to her, and she loved you from the moment you were discovered.

The night you were born, the last night of Bella's human life, was horrific. Edward and I worked to get you out, but everything went wrong. We had no idea what we were doing. Before you were delivered, Bella's spine broke. Once you came out, you were handed to Rosalie and taken away. Bella died as soon as you were born. Edward fought to save her, but I knew it was too late. I watched him desperately trying to save her, and I actually felt bad for him. He began biting her, trying to save her in the last possible way. He had never wanted to change her, but it was his last option.

"I went crazy with anger. I had never had so much hate inside of me, not even for him. The girl I loved was dead, and it was her own child that had killer her." I covered my mouth in horror. Unable to hear anymore, I turned away from Jacob. He grabbed my arm and pulled me to face him.

"Renesmee, I know this is hard to hear, but I need to finish." I froze into a statue and inhaled slowly, bracing myself.

"I wanted to take revenge on the monster that had taken Bella away from me. I started to search for Rosalie, planning how to," He looked at me in utter shame. "Kill you."

"But, you didn't." I pressed. He shook his head.

"No I didn't. When I finally saw you, your eyes met mine and," I waited anxiously.

"I imprinted on you." What?

"_Imprinted_?" I asked quietly. He nodded.

"Imprinting is the way wolves, in my tribe, find their soul mates. The moment you see that person, they become the most important thing in your universe, they are your destiny. Nothing else matters as long as they are safe and happy. I couldn't have hurt you if a gun was to my head." I felt faint, overcome by his confession. I was a baby, how could he have known then? And was it sick that he, imprinted on a baby? I took a step away from him.

"Ness, are you okay?" He asked me, concern covered his face. I reached for the railing, feeling as if I would faint. He took my arm and guided me to the bench at the end of the bridge. I sat down and put my head between my knees. He sat next to me and rubbed my back.

"Are you okay? Should I go get Carlisle?" He asked me worriedly. I shook my head and sat up slowly, fighting the waves of dizziness. I took a few minutes before forcing myself to speak.

"I don't know what any of this means Jake. I can't understand how you imprinted on an infant, considering how creepy that is." He shook his head.

"It's not like love at first sight Renesmee." He said quickly. "I didn't fall in _love_ with you at that moment. It was more like, I knew what my reason for existing was. It was you. I was put on this earth to watch over you and make sure your every need was met." I shook my head in confusion.

"But you said soul matesJake, are you aware of what that means?" He sighed.

"There are many different kinds of soul mates. It isn't necessarily always a romantic term. I instantly loved you, but I wasn't in love with you."

"What do you expect of me Jake?" I asked. His eyes were kind as he reached over to touch my cheek.

"Nothing at all. Being near you will be enough for me forever. I only told you because you need to understand why I care so much." I stood up.

"So what, you're just going to spend your life taking care of me? What about what you want to do?" I demanded. He stood up to face me.

"Protecting you _is_ what I want to do. I'll always watch out for you, even when you are a grown woman. Knowing you are safe is the most important thing in my world." I raised up a hand.

"Jake, I have to tell you that this is all really creepy, and I'm not sure I like the idea of you stalking me."

"I know this is weird for you and I wish I could explain it better, but I can't. There is no real definition for imprinting, but it is a love thing, not anything more. I'm not going to follow you around and collect your hair strands or anything." I couldn't help but laugh at this. He took my hand in his and smiled at me.

"Just know that you will always have a friend who is looking out for you. Who will love you no matter what, and will be your best friend. There doesn't have to be any more to it. Is that creepy?" I shook my head and returned his smile.

"I think I can live with that. I just wish I understood better." He shrugged.

"You never will, but that's okay. It's a wolf thing, vampire's wouldn't understand. They aren't that bright.." I punched his arm and he cracked up.


	5. Chapter 5

**5.**

I walked along the path in our backyard. The quiet was nice, I hadn't felt peaceful in a long time. Ever since Jake had told me about his imprinting on me, I couldn't stop thinking about it.

I heard a splash in the pond and instinctively froze. A deer perhaps? I hadn't gone hunting that day, and I felt the thirst wash over me. I moved slowly towards the bush in front of the pond. If I could wait behind it for the deer to turn away, I could easily get it from behind.

I sat behind the bush and peeked through it's leaves. I scanned the pond for the deer, but couldn't seem to see anything. I went to stand up, feeling disappointed, when I heard a disturbance in the water. I whipped around and repositioned myself, ready to attack.

A pair of thick sculpted shoulders rose out of the water slowly. He continued to stand up until I could see his whole back side. I gasped at the sight. He was tall, muscular, and had sun kissed skin. I felt my heart stop as I realized who it was.

Jake.

I watched dumbfounded as his beautiful body slipped through the water. His long graceful arms were in a perfectly timed stroke and his legs followed obediently. Every now and then he would submerge from the water and stand for several minutes. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes, enjoying the warm sunlight. His back glistened, showing off his every muscle and when he would turn around, his chiseled chest was equally breathtaking. I blushed as I looked at his backside in pure lust. He was beautiful.

I sat back, allowing my eyes to rest from the gawking. I had never seen him so free, or so attractive. I put my hand to my heart and tried to calm it down. Why was I acting this way? It was just Jake. I turned around when I heard him exciting the water.

He stepped out of the water and grabbed his cut off shorts. When he turned back in my direction, my mouth dropped as my eyes fell below his waste line. I had never seen a man naked before, but I even knew that he was perfect.

When he had gotten dressed, he slowly left, leaving me behind in total shock.

I sat in the living room that night with my family, trying to concentrate on my homework. It had been hard focusing lately, when all I could think about was Jake. I wasn't sure why I couldn't stop starring at him, it wasn't as if he had changed at all. But ever since that day at the pond, I found myself thinking about him.

I looked up from my work to see Jake reading a magazine. He seemed very into whatever it was that he was reading. His dark thick eyebrows were pulled down and he kept biting his lip. He did this anytime he was thinking hard. I starred at his lips in intrigue. They were so full and soft looking...

"Renesmee!" I jumped at the sound of my name. I looked at Emmett who was giving me the most mischievous smile.

"What?" I responded too quickly. He shook his head and laughed.

"Why don't you take a picture? It'll," Rose jumped to my rescue.

"Shut up Emmett!" He frowned at her. She returned with an evil glare. He looked at me and zipped his lips. I rolled my eyes and looked back to my notebook. I waited a few moments before taking a side glance at Jake. He continued to read his magazine, but a small smile was on his lips. I felt myself blush in embarrassment.

"I'm going to study in my room." I stood up, eager to get out of there. I couldn't be in the same room with him right now, I was too confused.

When I reached my bedroom I shut the door behind me and took in a deep breath. 'Keep it together,' I scolded myself. 'You've known him your whole life, there's no need to freak out.' It wasn't as if I'd never seen him without his shirt on, he phased all the time. But the way he looked all wet...

"Nessie?" I froze. Shit shit shit!

"Give me a sec Jake!" I shook my head, trying to clear it. No need to make this any more awkward. I opened the door.

"Hey what's up?" He smiled at me.

"Just wanted to know if you wanted any company. Plus Emmett and Blondie were driving me nuts." I smiled and held the door open. He entered my room and looked at my bed.

"Should I sit here or..." I ran over and moved the pile of clothes that was piled high.

"Sorry, I was going to fold them tonight after I was done." I put them into my laundry basket.

"Um, Ness." I turned around to see Jake holding up a black lace bra. I gasped and covered my mouth. Jake began to spin it on his index finger.

"I had no idea you wore stuff like this! What else to you have?" He taunted me. I charged at him knocking him back. He put the bra underneath him, cracking up at my lame attempt to retrieve it.

"Jacob Black give that back!" I wrapped my arms tightly around his huge torso as he wrapped one arm around my waist holding me still.

"How badly to you want it Ness?" I pulled back to look at his face. His smile was huge, and his dark eyes were blazing mischievously. I felt my stomach go into knots as I laid on top of him. He stopped smiling as he studied my face.

"What's wrong?" He asked me seriously. I looked him in the eyes as I noticed the way his hard body felt against mine. "Nessie?" He asked. My eyes fell to his lips and I couldn't stop myself.

I pressed my lips onto his and pulled him closer to me. I felt my body go limp as his lips moved with mine. As the kiss intensified, he wrapped his other arm around me and sat up, holding me in his lap. Suddenly, I froze and he pulled away from me. His eyes asked me questions that I had no answers for. I jumped off him and walked to my window afraid to look at him. I heard him trying to steady his breathing from behind me. After a long minute, I sat down on my window seat and made myself look at him.

His face was flushed and his eyes were on fire with passion.

"What was that?" He asked me. I shook my head and looked at the floor.

"I don't know, I'm so sorry Jake." He frowned at me.

"You're sorry? Do you regret what just happened?" He asked sounding hurt. I opened my mouth to respond, but I had no explanation. Jake stood up and covered his mouth, deep in thought.

"Why did you just kiss me Renesmee? I need you to tell me." I made my shaking legs stand up as I tried to think of what to say.

"I'm sorry Jake, it's just that I've been so confused lately I don't know where I'm at." I explained. "I saw you in the pond the other day, when you thought no one was home." His eyes lit up with curiosity. I cleared my throat.

"I just saw you all alone, in your little world and it was nice to...look at." I could have kicked myself, I sounded ridiculous. A small smile was forming on his face.

"You mean, you _liked_ what you saw, I was naked Ness." I felt my face turn purple.

"I just, never knew you looked like that. I mean, I've seen you phase many times but, this was different. You were so peaceful and..." He raised an eyebrow.

"And what?" I swallowed.

"Wet." His eyebrows rose up his forehead in shock. I groaned.

"Dammit, I'm sorry Jake! I sound like an idiot I just can't get this out right!" He took a small step towards me, as if not to scare me off.

"So, you saw me naked and liked it, no big deal kid." I covered my face in annoyance.

"Stop calling me kid would you? And it _was_ a big deal to me Jake! I know I shouldn't be feeling this way but I can't help it and it's freaking me out. I mean, I just threw myself at you! What the hell was that about?" He bit his lip in deep thought.

"What are you feeling Nessie?" I looked at him feeling scared. He sensed this and smiled gently at me.

"It's okay, just be honest with me and you can't say anything bad." I shook my head and turned away from him.

"I need you to go Jake. I can't do this right now."

"Nessie, I know what just happened was a little intense, but there's no need to freak out. I think we just need to take a step back and relax." He extended a hand to me, but I couldn't even look at him anymore.

"Jake, please. I want you leave." He pulled his hand back and nodded.

I heard him sigh and then turn to leave.

"I never thought the day would come, when you would want to kiss me." I heard him whisper before closing the door.

I felt my heart drop as I walked back to the window. I sat down and felt the tears coming. I'd hurt him and didn't even mean to. I heard the front door shut and looked down below. I saw Jake walking down the driveway, his hands in his pockets. I wanted to yell at him, tell him to come back, but I knew I wasn't ready to face what I had just done.


	6. Chapter 6

I hadn't seen Jake in almost a week. I couldn't believe I had reacted the way I did, after how nice he had been about everything. I couldn't figure out why I was so confused about us. He was my best friend and apart of my family, in many ways it would be perfect. But I wasn't sure if I was ready to be more than his friend. I knew without any doubt that my feelings for him weren't the same, but was that enough? What if I stopped loving him and hurt him the way my mother had? What would happen then? If the whole imprinting thing works the way he explained it, he would spend his entire life watching over me and never finding love.

But how could things go sour when we already cared about each other this much? I'd known him my whole life and that kind of connection couldn't be lost over the ending of a relationship could it?

"Renesmee?" I heard my mother's voice from behind my bedroom door.

"Come in mom!" I called. She entered smiling warmly at me.

"Hey hon, how are you?" She sat down beside me and started ruffling my hair. I rolled my eyes.

"Did Dad send you up here?" Her smile was guilty.

"You know he can't help it sweetie. Out of everyone he hears your thoughts the loudest. I groaned and fell into her shoulder. She gave me a tight squeeze.

"You know Jake would never hurt you right?" I nodded. She kissed my forehead.

"He had to tell you," She continued. "He had no control over it. He's been waiting for eighteen years to explain his devotion to you." I sighed.

"I just wish things could go back to the way they were, before he told me. Now I feel like I'm holding his heart in my hands and if I make the slightest mistake, I'll crush it." I looked up at her, feeling tears well up in my eyes. "I can't hurt Jake mom, and I know I'm going to no matter what." I closed my eyes and let the tears spill over. She wiped them with her hand.

"You can't hurt him sweetie, because whatever you decide, whatever is best for you, will make him happy. As long as you are happy and satisfied, he will be too. That's just the way imprinting works." I groaned loudly.

"That just makes it worse!" I fell back onto my bed in frustration. My mother sat still, waiting for me to calm down.

"Mom?" I asked her quietly.

"Hmm?"

"Why did you love Jake?" She laughed softly.

"Well, he certainly did tell you everything didn't he?" I sat up and gave her a serious look. She smiled.

"He was always there for me, no matter how much it hurt him. He never gave up on me, even when all hope was gone. There was a time when he was the only one who could warm my heart. He was my sun." She smiled warmly at the memory.

"But I loved your father in a way that I never could have loved Jacob. I _needed_ him, he was everything to me."She sighed happily. "But I am so happy that Jake is still in my life. I have always known that he was supposed to be apart of me, but I never would have guessed it was because of you." She winked at me.

"Don't push anything on yourself Renesmee. Let things between you two develop naturally. You both have eternity to figure out what you are, and he would wait that long I promise you." I hugged her close to me.

"Thank you mom." She nodded before leaving the room.

I tried to picture what Jake was doing right now. I picked up the phone and dialed his number. As I waited for an answer, my mind went back to all my fears and I lost my confidence.

"Hello?" I heard Jake's voice answer. I opened my mouth to say something but nothing came out. I felt my heart speeding up.

"Hello?" He asked again. I took a deep breath and hung up the phone.

"Later Jake." I whispered to myself.

Another week went by and I was losing it. Why hadn't he tried to call me? Was I the only one allowed to make contact? I paced through my house practically pulling my hair out. I fell onto the couch and rubbed my temples.

"Hi Nessie!" Alice flew into he room, her arms full of bags.

"Hi, did you go shopping again?" I asked, barely interested. She nodded and dumped the bags on the floor.

"You're going to die when you see the dress I got for you!" She started to dig through one of the bags before pausing to look up at me.

"Oh, I saw Jake at the gas station on the way home. He told me to tell you hi." I leaned forward at super human speed.

"You did? How was he? What did he say?" I asked too quickly. Alice looked at me like I was crazy.

"Um, he was telling me about a new bike he had been working on. Other than that, he didn't say much. He seemed tired or something. What are you all worked up about?" I groaned and sat back into the couch.

"Nothing, I just haven't seen him in a while and wanted to know how he was." She put her hands on her hips.

"What's going on Nessie? Jake's here almost everyday, did you two have a fight?" I shook my head.

"No, more like a misunderstanding." She nodded.

"I suppose you don't want to talk about it huh?"

"NO, but thanks for asking." I kissed her cheek before starting up the stars.

Once in my room, I walked over to my computer and turned it on. I went to my email and opened up an unread message.

_Dear Nessie,_

_I just wanted to send you an email to let you know that I think of you every second of everyday and miss you terribly. I know you might regret the other night, and that's okay. But I don't, I can't._

_I'm here when you're ready to talk, no pressure Kid._

_Love you,_

_Jake_

I closed my eyes, picturing Jake at his small desk writing that short email over and over again. He would be swearing at every mistake and grumbling to himself. Funny how well I knew him and didn't at the same time.

I laid in bed feeling sick to my stomach. Two weeks. Two weeks since I saw Jake last. We had never been separated for more than a day before this and I had no idea what to do with myself. That has to mean something, missing him this much. If I didn't love Jake, this wouldn't be so hard to do.

Suddenly I was on my feet, getting dressing as fast as I possibly could. I had officially cracked, I had to get to La Push as soon as possible.

I knocked on Jake's front door and was greeted by Billy. He seemed surprised to see me, but told me Jake was in his room.

I tapped a few times on his door before I heard a quiet, "Come in". I opened the door to see Jake sitting in the floor facing his window.

"What do you want dad?" He asked sadly. I felt my heart tug at his tone of voice.

"It's me." I responded. He stood up quickly and faced me, relief flooding his face. I bit my lip and starred down at my shoes.

"I wanted to come here and apologize for the way I acted that night. It wasn't right and I didn't mean to hurt you. I know you are probably still pissed about it, and that's okay. I don't expect you to forgive me for attacking you that way and then kicking you out." I paused to check his expression. He was still starring at me, a slight smile pulling up the corner of his mouth. I inhaled and continued.

"I don't know why I had that reaction, I guess I just freaked out. You're my best friend and I don't want to loose you." He opened his mouth to say something and I held my hand up.

"Please Jake, just let me finish." He nodded.

"I know our connection to one another will never go away, it's for life. But that doesn't change the fact that it's really scary. I don't have the luxury of being as sure as you are, it's not like I imprinted on you. That's a lot of pressure on me, the fact that I'm practically holding your heart in my hands." I sat on his bed and took a deep breath.

"Just promise me that no matter what happens, you'll always be my friend. I have to know that you aren't going to hate me."

Jake walked over to my side and sat next to me. I felt his giant arm wrap around my shoulder. I let my face fall into his chest as the tears came.

"Nessie, I will never stop being your friend, I told you that. But I'm not going to give up hope for us either, I know you felt something when you kissed me." He lifted up my chin to reach his eye level.

"I never said I wasn't attracted to you Jake, just confused." His eyes smoldered as he leaned closer to me.  
"Is there a way to fix your confusion?" I felt my heart stop as I turned away from him and smiled.

"So do you forgive me?" I asked. He sighed quietly.

"You never even had to apologize." He grinned at me and stood up. I watched him as he began picking up his homework from the floor. I suddenly noticed a guitar sitting next to his door.

"When did you get a guitar Jake?" I asked, hoping to change the subject. He looked over at it and blushed.

"Oh yeah. I uh, bought it about six months ago from that antique mall." I walked over to it and picked it up.

"It's beautiful, you fixed it up a bit didn't you?" I laughed. He nodded.

"I can't not fix things up, Ness. But it was a challenge, I'm used to car engines and stuff. I had to be really careful with that." I raised an eyebrow at him.

"Can you play it?" He shrugged.

"I can a bit, nothing special. It's just a way of expressing myself when I need to I guess." I handed it to him.  
"Play something for me." He shook his head.

"No, I really suck. I'm just learning and only know one song." He tried to hand it back to me but I pushed it back.

"What song is it?" I pushed. He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair.

"Just something I've been working on. It's nothing really. You play the guitar, why don't you jam while I'm finishing up here." I smiled as sweetly as I could.

"Dear Jake, you've heard me play before. I want to hear you! Please? I'll never ask you again." He groaned and took the guitar from me as I clapped.

"Yey! Thank you Jacob!" He sat down on his desk chair and pulled the strap around his neck. He cleared his throat nervously.

"I wrote this about a month ago. Like I said, I'm still learning," I held me finger to my lips to silence him. He smiled at me and took a deep breath.

"Well, here it goes." I sat down on the bed and watched as he began plucking the strings. The sound that came out was sweet. I hugged my knees to my chest as I waited. Jake looked up at me nervously as he began to sing.

"I'm gonna wear you down

I'm gonna make you see

I'm gonna get to you

You're gonna give into me"

He closed his eyes and I felt my breath catch. There was no doubt in my mind, this song was about me.

"I'm gonna start a fire

You're gonna feel the heat

I'm gonna burn for you

You're gonna melt for me

Come on, come on

Into my arms

Come one, come on

Give into me"

He looked up at me, trying to figure out my reaction. I gave him a small smile and nodded in encouragement.

"You're gonna take my hand

Whisper the sweetest words

And if your ever sad

I'll make you laugh

I'll chase the hurt"

I sat stunned at the words. It was beautiful, it was perfect. I suddenly realized that his feelings for me were so much more than I realized. He wrote this song for me, and I couldn't breath. He starred into my eyes, his voice thick with emotion.

"My heart is set is on you

I don't want no on else

And if you don't want me

I guess I'll be all by myself

Come on, come on

Into my arms

Come on, come on

Give into me

I'll use my eyes to draw you in

Until I'm under your skin

I'll use my lips, I'll use my arms

Come on, come on, come on

Give in to me

Give in to me

Give in to me."

He strummed the last note and waited for the vibration to stop. I sat in silence, not able to move. He looked at me shyly and shrugged his shoulders.

"See, it's not anything really." He set the guitar down and stood up awkwardly.

"So, uh, what do you want to do? We could go get something to eat or catch a movie? I heard that tickets are half off today, some kind of promotional thing," Jake continued to ramble on, obviously embarrassed by my silence. I stood up and walked over to him. He inhaled sharply as I wrapped my arms around him. I held him as tight as I could, unable to let him go. I allowed my feelings for him to flow through me and I sighed as the truth finally set in. I loved Jake, and there was no going back. I could no longer fight my feelings or allow fear to stop me.

I pressed my cheek against his and marveled at the warmth. His arms wrapped completely around my waist as he lifted me off the ground, holding me.

"Give into me." He whispered in my ear. I nodded and pulled away from him so that I could see his face. He set me down gently, but didn't let me go. I placed my hands on his biceps and pulled myself up to him. He leaned down slowly, his eyes never leaving mine. As our lips touched, I inhaled his sweet breath. He pulled me closer to him, and held my head in his hands, kissing me so sweetly. After a few minutes, he pulled away, still holding my face.

"So all I had to do to make you love me was write a song? Why didn't I think of that sooner?" He laughed as I pulled him back into the kiss. He sighed as his lips moved with mine and I smiled into him. I had never felt more at home than at this very moment.

**I have many more chapters almost complete, stay tuned! Reviews are appreciated! **

_**The song was "Give In To Me" written by **__**Billy Falcon, Rose Falcon and Elisha Hoffman**_


	7. Chapter 7

**7.**

The next few weeks I mostly spent with Jake. Since revealing our feelings for one another, time had seemed to slow down. We took things very slowly, not wanting to rush anything. We didn't put a label on what we were, Jake said we were just "us". The two of us still did the same things, but most of our nights were spent wrapped in each others arms and kissing softly. I hadn't told my parents yet, I wasn't sure what their reaction would be. I wanted what we had to remain easy and low key, and if my crazy family had knowledge of it, it most certainly would become the topic of conversation and gossip.

Tonight we were at home, eating pizza and watching a movie. My family was out hunting so we felt free to be ourselves.

"This movie is great, we should have seen it in the theater." Jake said laughing at the scene. I smiled and climbed into his lap. Being close to him felt like heaven. He was so warm and soft despite his hard muscles. It was hard to believe that I had never noticed before.

I burrowed my face into his neck and breathed in his scent. He always smelled like fresh rain, earth, and warm sunlight. Jacob laughed.

"Are you _smelling_ me Nessie?" I smiled and nodded.

"You smell like home." He rested his head on mine. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the closeness. He began to stroke my hair gently and kiss my forehead. I knew now that I could spend forever this way, just him and I. It was such a simple thing, but meant so much.

I sat up and wrapped my arms around his neck. He grinned at me slyly.

"I think I have to kiss you now." He leaned forward and gave me long slow kiss. I sighed as he continued to kiss me.

"SHUT UP!" I heard a small musical voice say. I broke the kiss and spun around to see Alice standing behind us. Her mouth was wide open as she gawked at us. I jumped up and ran over to Alice.

"Oh. My. God. _What_ is going on in here?" She asked teasingly. I grabbed her by the arm and drug her out of the living room. When we got to the kitchen, I pointed my finger at her.

"Don't tell anyone! This is not something I want everyone to know about yet! Got it?" She looked at me and grinned.

"How long has this been going on Nessie? I mean, _I _had no idea!" I shook my head.

"Not long at all and I'm not ready to discuss it with any one of you. Just forget what you saw for now please?" Alice pouted.

"Oh come on! You can't expect me to walk in on _that_ and just forget it! At least tell me how long and then I'll drop it." I groaned but couldn't resist her excited little face.

"Okay Alice, it's been going on for a few weeks. Nothing serious, we're taking things _really_ slowly. Is that good enough for now?" She jumped up and down, clapping.

"Yes yes! I can't believe this!" I gave her a stern look and she settled down. "Sorry, I'll keep my mouth shut." I raised my eyebrows at her.

"And keep my thoughts quiet when Edward's around." I held out my hand and she shook it. I turned on my heel and headed back to Jacob.

Alice walked behind me and smiled sweetly at Jake.

"Hello Jake, how are you?" He eyed her suspiciously.

"Can't complain and yourself?" He replied just as sweetly. She let out an annoyed cry.

"You two are no fun!" She said sourly as she stomped away.

Jake looked at me.

"How long until everyone finds out?" I closed my eyes.

"She promised me to keep quiet, but who knows." He chuckled. I sat down next to him and nestled in under his arm. After a few minutes of silence, Jake sat up suddenly. I watched him as he stood up in anger. His eyes were dark and excited.

"Jake what's wrong?" I asked worriedly. He walked towards the front door in a hurry.

"I have to go. Something's going on with Sam and Leah." I followed behind him. He turned to me.

"Ness I'm not sure you should come." He said flatly. I held his hand.

"I won't be in the way I promise. I just want to be with you." He gave my hand a squeeze and opened the door for me.

When we arrived at Sam's place, Leah was shouting at Sam in the font yard while Emily sat on the porch with her head in her hands. Jake jumped out of the car and ran towards them.

"Wow wow, what's going on here?" He demanded. Leah stood stone faced refusing to look away from Sam. I stayed behind Jake, trying to stay out of the way. Sam acknowledged my presence with a nod. I gave him a weak smile. Jake held his hands up.

"I asked what's going on here!" Sam glared at Leah.

"Leah's leaving the pack." We looked at Leah in shock.

"What? Why?" Jacob asked her. She shot daggers at me causing me to look away.

"I'm not going to be a part of a pack that puts blood suckers ahead of their own tribe." Jake took a step back as if he had been slapped.

"What the hell are you talking about? I'm just as devoted to the pack as any of you are!" He shouted at her. She got in front of him, furious.

"You've spent the last few years, spending all your time with _them_. I kept my mouth shut but _that_," She pointed at me in disgust. "Is not acceptable. They are our enemies, have been for hundreds of years! You're pissing on our ancestors and people by even touching her. She's a filthy disgusting hybrid, more vile than the others!" Jake growled loudly and put himself just inches away from her.

"Don't _ever_ talk about her that way! I will tear you apart got that?" Leah snorted.

"Go ahead and try Jake, you wouldn't hurt me." Jake flexed his muscles and started to shake.

"I swear to God Leah, say one more thing about Nessie and I _will_ kill you. You've got a problem? Let's go." Leah starred down Jake for a few moments before backing down.

"So much for loyalty." She mumbled under her breath. I took a deep breath trying to calm down. Another round of anger hit her.

"I can't believe you let those leeches into our lives Jake! They don't belong here!"

"The Cullen's were there when we needed help, they aren't the same as other vampires and you _know_ that!" He yelled at her.

"I'm sick of you trying to be Alpha, changing everything we are as a tribe! You can't just change the treaty to make it work for _you_!"

"You know that we consulted with the elders," Sam said as gently as he could manage. "This was a tribal decision, and it was what had to be done." She snorted.

"If I was Alpha, I never would have allowed it. It's an insult that they fought with us. The whole time I felt sick knowing what our ancestors would have thought."

"We had no choice Leah! Without the Cullen's we never would have survived that fight! You're just pissed off that we've found someone and you're still alone!" Jake screamed at her. Sam put himself between the two of them.

"That's _enough_ Jacob! Don't hit below the belt here." He advised. Leah pushed Sam with a great force.

"Oh shut up Sam! Quit trying to protect me, that's not your job anymore!"

"As long as you are in this tribe, it _is_ my job Leah!" Her eyes narrowed.

"Well you sure did a good job at protecting me when you left me for my cousin." She said bitterly. Sam winced, the pain of her remark obviously hitting him hard. Emily looked up at her in agony.

"That wasn't anyone's fault Leah! We never meant to hurt you!" Leah rolled her eyes at her.

"Save it Emily! _He_ may have imprinted on you, but _you_ had a choice in the matter!" She looked at all of us in disgust.

"There's no loyalty here, no pride. If I'm doomed to be this way, I'm not going to spend my life in a pack that allows bloodsuckers around." She shot me a dirty look. "And I'm defiantly not going to stand aside and watch one of us date one."

"God dammit Leah!" Sam shouted. "You have a responsibility to your people! This isn't a choice, you _will_ stay and you _will_ put an end to all of this!"

Leah laughed bitterly.

"I don't take commands from you anymore... _Alpha._ I'm gone." She pushed past him and headed towards the woods. Emily stood up crying.

"Please don't do this Leah!" She cried. Sam put his hand out, blocking her from following.

"She's left us. There's no going back now." He turned away towards the house, taking Emily's shaking body into his arms. "Jake, send a message to the others. I want everyone back here at nine tonight." Jacob nodded solemnly. He was still shaking when he turned to me.

"That _traitor_! Who the hell does she think she is? I swear if I ever see her again..." I touched his arm softly, pulling him towards me. He starred at me, sadness in his eyes.

"I'm sorry you had to see that Ness, I shouldn't have let you come." I held his face in my hands and kissed him. He sighed into me and picked me up. After a few minutes he put me on the ground gently and held me close to him.

"Thanks, I needed that." He said quietly. I gave him a sweet smile and took his hands in mine.

"You are a good man Jacob. I know you're under a lot of pressure from Sam and everyone else. But you should be proud of yourself for doing the right thing. I just wish I wasn't such a burden on you. I know how difficult it must be under the circumstances." He lowered himself to my eye level.

"You are the most important thing in my life. More important than my family, my tribe, _and_ my pack. You are not a burden, you are a blessing. One that I don't, nor will ever deserve. Don't _ever _forget that."


	8. Chapter 8

**8.**

Things had changed since Leah had left. Jake's pack felt her loss, and Sam blamed himself for it. Jake explained to me that her choosing to leave was worse than if she were to die. It was a choice, and it effected the whole tribe. Since her father's passing, her anger had grown and my relationship with Jake only added to the fire. I felt awful, even though I knew I couldn't entirely blame myself.

I stopped by Sam's to drop off some cookies I had baked. I was with Jake now, and I wanted Sam to know that I was apart of them too.

I knocked on the door and was greeted by Emily. She gave me a smile and a small hug.

"Hello Renesmee, come on in." She stepped aside, letting me by. I handed her the cookies.

"These are for you two. I'm sorry about what happened with Leah, I know it must be especially hard on you." She nodded and took them to the kitchen. I followed her, not exactly sure what to say next. After setting them down, she turned to me with tears in her eyes.

"I know that I hurt her, I just never thought it would lead to her actually _leaving_. I wish I could have talked her out of it." She motioned towards the couch.

"Have a seat hon." I sat down and put my hands in my lap. She sat next to me sighing.

"I hope you know that none of this is your fault. This has been going on for years now and she just hasn't been able to move on. Apart of me wonders if I would have been able to if I was in her situation." She sighed and laughed.

"I'm a pretty bad cousin huh?" I shook my head.

"No, Emily. That was something that couldn't be helped. Jake told me how imprinting works, there's no way he could have stayed with her." She nodded sadly.

"I know, but I accepted and _I didn't_ imprint on him. I don't have an excuse." I leaned towards her and awkwardly put my hand on top of hers.

"Emily, I've been imprinted on too, and I can vouch for you, that kind of love cannot easily be ignored. I know we can't imprint like Sam and Jake did, but I believe that when you've found the one, you can't let them get away. If you would have denied him, he still would love only you and then there would be three people hurting. I know Leah didn't get her happy ending with him, but one day she'll get one with another. He will be what Sam is to you and hopefully then, she'll understand that you can't just let that pass you by."

Emily wiped her eyes and smiled.

"Thank you, Renesmee. That was nice of you to say." I shrugged.

"I meant it. You are a good person, and you should know that. Sam's a lucky guy."

"That I am!" Sam busted into the living room and jumped on her. She laughed and pushed him off her.

"Hi Nessie." He waved at me. I waved back and stood up.

"I should go, we're supposed to have a family game night or something equally lame." They nodded and she gave me another hug, holding me tighter this time.

"Thanks again, you're a sweet girl Renesmee." I felt myself beaming. It was nice to have a girl to talk to about this stuff.

"No problem, I hope to see you guys soon."

As I got into my car, I felt hopeful that the distance between the wolves and my family was closing more and more everyday.

When I got home, Alice had already set everything up for game night. I laughed at how thorough she'd been, everything was set up perfectly and she even made some food for me to snack on. I gave her a kiss on the cheek and then ran into the kitchen.

Esme and my parents were there, laughing together.

"Hi my baby girl!" My mom said smiling. I hugged each of them and then told them about my afternoon with Emily. They applauded my kindness and asked me questions about Leah, Sam, and Emily. Esme shook her head the whole time, obviously saddened at their loss.

"It's so sad when a family gets broken up that way." She said softly. Emmett ran into the kitchen and punched dad's arm.

"Let's go pretty boy! I'm gonna win this time, my mind's got an iron gate in front of it." Dad was ready to respond when Alice suddenly appeared, fear in her face.

"Edward." She whispered. We all looked at him as he starred back at her, reading her thoughts. His face twisted in terror.

"Sweetheart,"My mother pried. "What is it?" He ran to the phone.

"Get Carlisle and Jasper _now_, I'm calling Jacob." She ran out of the room.

"What's wrong with Jake dad?" I asked him in panic. He turned to me and forced a smile.

"Jake's fine Nessie. Go into your room until I get this figured out okay?" I nodded and walked slowly towards my room. Something was very wrong or he would have told me. Why did he have to call Jake? I felt sick as I thought of every possible thing it could be.

I paced my room, waiting to be informed. I heard when Jake flew into the house and I heard when he growled out in anger. _This was bad_, I thought to my self. The time went by slowly as I waited in silence, hoping to hear anything.

Ten minutes later, I heard Jake growl again and I couldn't take it anymore. I ran downstairs and was met by my family's worried expressions. Jake was walking back and forth, his hands in clenched fists. When he saw me he froze, and his angry expression softened.

There was suddenly a knock on the door, and my father went to open it. The room was suddenly filled with Sam, Quil, Embry, Seth, and Emily's worried faces.

"Thank you for coming." My dad said. I looked at everyone in fear.

"What happened? Someone tell me!" I shouted.

Jake walked over to me.

"Alice had a vision." I looked at her immediately. She crossed her arms.

"I saw wolves, and they were angry." She said. I frowned and looked at Jake and Sam.

"Are you two fighting?" They shook their heads in unison.

"They weren't from our tribe. They're from the mid south." Sam informed me. My face fell.

"There are _other_ wolves?"

"We have heard stories of other shape shifters, but we had no idea they were still actively phasing. We don't know a whole lot about them, only that they're a rather large tribe." He answered.

"Chotaw tribe." Jasper interrupted. "One of the largest American Indian tribes in the country. They were moved to Oklahoma during the Civil War. There are many nomads that still pass through there, so they haven't stopped phasing. There are one hundred actively phasing members today." My face warped into confusion.

"So what's going on?" I asked desperately.

"They are planning on coming here. They heard about our arrangement with your family and think that we are a threat," Jake said while looking at the ground. "They also know about you and I, making us their main targets." My eyes grew.

"How, who told them?" I asked. Everyone looked at Sam. His face was expressionless.

"I'm certain it was Leah. No one else knows, and no one else can read our thoughts but us. Because she left us, we no longer can communicate with her. We don't know anything else." Jake grew angry again.

''That bitch! I should have killed her when I had the chance!" He hit the wall next to him, putting a massive hole in it. Sam put a large hand on his shoulder.

"We're going to stop this, Jake. We can't lose our heads though, we have to think about this clearly. If they are coming, we need to figure out how to deal with it and how to get more help." Carlisle broke his silence.

"One thing's for sure, we need to get Nessie out of here." Jacob nodded in agreement.

"I'll take her somewhere, maybe to your island Carlisle?" Carlisle shook his head.

"No, Leah knows where that is. It has to be somewhere where no one would think to look." Sam thought.

"I have a friend who lives in Alaska, near Mt. Denali. It's one of the most dangerous mountains on earth. The oxygen levels drop frequently and it's prone to earthquakes." My mother looked worried. Before she could object, Sam held up his hand, asking her to listen.

"Renesmee's abilities will keep her safe. If we give her the right equipment, she'll be just fine. She's strong, if rocks fall, she could easily move them or dodge them. The oxygen level won't be a problem, she doesn't technically need to breath. The only thing we'd need to really worry about, was if somehow they found out where she was." I looked at Jake as he put his arm around me. Everyone sat in silence, somber. Carlisle cleared his throat.

"Jake, you have to go with Nessie."

"What? But you'll need me! How can I leave when you're already outnumbered." Sam took a step towards Jake.

"They're after you too, Jake. If you both aren't here, they may be willing to reason with us. Besides, you'd be useless anyway if she was gone." My dad nodded.

"We could even imply that the Volturi stepped in and dealt with them themselves. They'd never know the difference." Jasper's eyes lit up.

"They'd never go to the Volturi, they'll want nothing to do with them!"

Jake shook his head slowly.

"It still feels wrong to leave." My dad smiled at Jake, understanding.

"I know it's hard to do, but it's the only way. You will take care of my daughter Jake, and that's the most important thing. If things go as we think, there will be no fight." I hugged Jake to me.

"I want you with me, I don't want to be away from you or alone." He looked down at me and kissed my forehead.

"I'll do whatever makes you happy Ness." Carlisle reached his hand out to Sam.

"It seems we are destined to help each other again Sam." Sam laughed and shook his hand, sealing their fate.

That night, Jake snuck into my room after my family went to hunt. We laid next to each other in silence for a long time. Occasionally, he would kiss my hair and sigh. I breathed in his scent, thankful that he would be with me. The thought of being separated from him again was too painful to imagine.

"Jake," I whispered into his chest.

"Mmm?" He asked groggily. I took in a deep breath and lifted my head so I could see his face.

"I love you." I said, my voice full of emotion. His lips broke into a huge smile.

"I love you too," He rolled over to face me and kissed me softly."More than you will ever know."

I blushed at his words and kissed him back.

"Are you scared about leaving?" I asked quietly. His eyes softened.

"No, I'll be with you. I wish I could stay and help, but I have faith in Sam and Carlisle. They'll find a way to make this work." I exhaled slowly in relief. I trusted Jacob to be honest with me, but I also knew he was still worried. It wasn't just my family in jeopardy, it was his too.

"I talked to Emily after Leah left." I confessed.

"I know, she told me." He responded.

"I know it wasn't my place, but I wanted her to know that I care. I don't want to be the Yoko Ono of the tribe Jake." He laughed at this and squeezed me.

"They don't think of you that way, Ness. Her and Sam both thought that what you did was sweet. Thank you for doing that though, she often feels responsible for what happened, especially now."

"I wish I could have talked to Leah, maybe I could have," He cut me off.

"She wouldn't have listened, she's stubborn. All she cares about is here own suffering." He said with disgust in his voice.

"I suppose." I whispered. He ran his fingers through my hair and grinned at me.

"I love the way you try to fix things. You're so sweet Ness." I rolled my eyes.

"I love the way you think your teasing bothers me." He leaned forward.

"I love the way you _tease_ me." He whispered suggestively in my ear. I pressed my lips to his and let him push me onto my back. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and pulled him as close to me as I could. He left my lips to move down to my neck, giving me soft, wet kisses. I grabbed his head, encouraging him to continue. He groaned, causing me to pull him back to my lips, kissing him as passionately as I could.

"Renesmee!" We turned to see my parents standing in the doorway in shock. Jacob jumped up, helping me to my feet.

"What's going on in here?" My mother asked sternly. I looked at Jacob, silently asking for any ideas. He took a deep breath and stepped forward.

"I told her about a month ago." My dad's eyes moved to me. I felt my heart go into my throat as I tried to think of something to say. Jacob smiled at me and then looked back at them.

"We haven't done what you're thinking, Edward, you would know." My dad looked at him suspiciously before relaxing a bit. He crossed his arms.

"I don't like this," He said flatly. "But I know the way you feel about her. I expect you two to be responsible if this kind of thing is going to continue. Renesmee, you are still young and naive to how things work." I watched as my mom gave my dad a taken back look. He closed his eyes.

"You know what I mean Bella. She's only seventeen and the fact that she's a hybrid doesn't change that." She shook her head at him.

"_I_ was seventeen once too Edward, and just as naive." He looked at her silently for a few moments.

"That may be so, but remember what _he_ tried to talk you into?" He pointed at Jacob.

"He's persuasive and you of all people should know that." Her eyes turned to stone as she starred back at him.

"Jacob is not going to try anything with Nessie, are you Jake?" He shook his head.

"I thought you both understood my feelings towards her?" He turned his focus to dad.

"I hold her in the same regard as you held Bella, if not more. You know the way I feel, I don't have to explain or defend myself. I love her." He said triumphantly. I smiled at his declaration. He was so sure of his feelings that I knew no one could ever doubt him.

Jake and dad starred each other down for a minute before my dad broke the silence.

"Don't disappoint me Jacob." He turned around and left the room. My mother stayed behind, eying the both of us.

"Jake, would you mind leaving? I need to talk to Renesmee." He nodded and turned to me.

"I'll see you tomorrow." He bumped into mom's shoulder playfully.

"Later Bells." She waved at him and waited in silence until the door shut behind him. I sat down on my bed and waited for her to start her lecture. She sat next to me and cleared her throat.

"If it's too much for you, you know that nothing has to happen now right? The two of you have forever to put a labels on what you are. I know that he would be fine with it."

"We're taking it slow mom." I said, beyond humiliated. She raised an eyebrow.

"What I walked in on didn't look all that slow." She threw back. I covered my face in embarrassment.

"Remind me to lock the door next time." She opened her mouth to question me.

"_Mom_! God, _nothing _happened! That was the furthest we've ever been. _You_ of all people know what it's like to be my age and feel that way for someone." She smiled and shook her head. "Yes, but I also was with someone who respected me enough to wait until I was actually ready."

"Mom, he would have _killed_ you." I pointed out. She choked back a laugh.

"Just promise me, for your father's sake, that you'll do what's best for _you_." I nodded.

"Always do."

**It may take me some time to put up more chapters. I know where I'm going with this, but I need to do some research first. Thanks for reading, I appreciate you taking the time! **

**Until next time...**


	9. Chapter 9

**Thank you for the nice reviews everyone! Here's another chapter!**

**9**

Sam's friend Darren agreed to let us stay at his cabin since he only stayed there during the summer. When Sam asked, Darren had questioned our sanity since Mt. Denali is one of the most dangerous mountains in the world, especially during the fall/winter seasons. Without delay, Sam had explained that we were seasoned mountain climbers and had all the right equipment.

Carlisle and Jasper overnight ed all the gear and supplies that we would "need". If we were to be discovered by someone on the mountain, we would need to have all the right supplies to avoid drawing attention. The only thing we _had_ to have, was food and oxygen tanks for Jake, just in case the oxygen level dropped suddenly.

When all was ready and it was time to leave, I started to choke up looking at my family.

I threw my arms around my parents and gave them each a kiss.

"Be careful." I whispered to them, tears already falling. My dad nodded and placed a light kiss on my forehead.

"You too sweetheart." He then turned to Jake. "You look after her okay? Remember that I trust you." Jake nodded and gave him a hug, shocking my mother and I.

"I will, you don't have to worry." He promised.

"Sam?" Jake called. Sam walked over to us, his face hard. "Please take care of my family." He said quietly. Sam nodded and patted Jake's back.

"Everything's going to be fine Jacob, so long as you two are safe."

Carlisle walked up to us, an envelope in his hand.

"We booked you a flight from Seattle to Anchorage, but you will have to take a small plane from there. I booked that flight for you too, so all you have to do is give the airport your names." Carlisle informed us. He handed Jake the tickets and shook his hand.

"Good luck, please call us when you arrive so we know you are safe." I hugged him tightly and thanked him.

"We'll keep you updated and let you know when Alice has another vision." My dad added.

Jake and I climbed into his truck, both fighting tears. As we pulled away from them, I felt my heart breaking. I had never been away from them, and I wasn't even sure how long we would be gone for. Jake pulled me into his side, letting me hold him as I cried.

After two long flights, we arrived at the mountain to find a man waiting for us.

"Jacob and Renesmee?" He asked. We nodded and then he extended his hand to Jake.

"I'm Darren. Follow me and I'll take you to the cabin." He turned around and motioned for us to follow. Jake and I looked at each other before gathering our things and walking forwards.

The cabin was located at the base of the mountain and was very small. It was a log cabin, with only three windows and one door. As we entered, I looked around to see that it was one big room. The bed was on the right side of the room, across from a mini kitchen.

"The bathroom's behind that curtain." Darren told us pointing to the back of the room. Jake cracked a small when he saw my horrified expression. He nudged my arm playfully.

"Don't worry, I'll step outside when you need to go." He winked at me. I felt my face flush.

"All your equipment that was sent here is in the shed outside, I wasn't sure where to put it all." Darren said. "How long are you folks planing on staying?" Jake and I exchanged a look.

"Um, we're actually not sure," Jake told him. "Is there a certain date we have to be out by?"

"Not really," Darren began. "I'll be gone until May. I wouldn't be caught dead here around this time of year. I'm in California with my brother for over half of the year. Are you sure you'll be okay? It gets really rough during the winter. I honestly couldn't believe it when Sam asked if you two could stay here."

"Well," Jake explained. "like Sam said, we've been doing this for a long time. We have great equipment and know all about survival and first aid." Sam still gave us a look like he was questioning our sanity.

"Sam was a good friend of mine when we were younger, I suppose I can trust his judgment." He pointed out the window.

"Okay, well there is an emergency radio in the shed if the phone lines get knocked down. If you end up needing to leave or have an accident, it will connect you to the local emergency services, including search and rescue." He said very seriously.

"Thank you very much for allowing us to stay here, it was very kind of you." I told him. He smiled at me shyly.

"It's no problem, just be very careful." He advised. "When you leave, please mail me the key to the address I gave to Sam." He shook our hands and then left in his jeep.

I gave a loud sigh and turned to Jake.

"We should call Carlisle and let him know we're here." I walked over to the land line and dialed the number.

"Hello?" I heard Carlisle's relieved voice.

"It's Nessie, just wanted to let you know we're here."

"Good, how is it?" I explained to him the set up of the cabin and about the emergency radio.

"Wonderful," I heard mumbling in the back round. "Nessie, Edward wants to talk to you." After a few moments, I heard my father's voice.

"Renesmee are you okay?" I rolled my eyes.

"Yes dad everything's fine so far. We're just about to put everything away."

"Can I talk to Jake please?" I handed the phone to Jake.

"What's up Edward?" He asked casually. He listened for a few minutes before flashing me a smile.

"Edward I told you before, you can trust me." I shook my head when I realized what my dad was lecturing him about. At least that was _one_ normal thing I had, my dad would kill any guy who touched me.

"Alright Edward, I understand," He paused for a moment. "Yeah we'll call you tomorrow. Take care." He hung up laughing.

"What?" I asked. Jake shook his head still smiling.

"Your dad's just funny. He told me that if anything funny happened between us, he would call animal control and tell them that there's a giant wolf mauling people in Denali National Park." I laughed too, and shook my head.

"Should we start to put stuff away?" I asked. He nodded.

"Yeah, better get on that."

After two hours of unloading and stocking the fridge and kitchen, we made a fire in the fireplace and sat in front of it. Neither one of us needed one, but the idea of a fire was somewhat comforting. Jake pulled me under his arm and kissed my forehead.

"Everything's going to be fine, Ness. We just have to wait until this whole thing blows over." I sighed and breathed him in. No matter what was going on in the world, he always found a way to comfort me.

"I just hate being away from everyone," I sighed. "We have no idea what's going on there." I wished I could have the same faith that everything would work out like Jake did, but apart of me felt so uneasy. We sat in a comfortable silence when my mind started wandering to Jake and dad's conversation.

I cleared my throat nervously and he took notice.

"What's wrong?" He asked quietly.

"Well," I started. "Why would you promise dad that? I mean, aren't we ya know, serious?" He raised an eyebrow at me before understanding what I was trying to say. He took my hand and pulled me over to the small couch.

"Nessie, I promised him because there's no way _that's_ going to happen. Not now anyways. As for us being serious, I certainly think we are, but that doesn't mean we have to go so fast." He explained gently.

"I just thought that since we'll be here alone.." I trailed off. He bent down and kissed me softly.

"I love you Ness, but just because we're alone doesn't mean we can do whatever we want. Let's just enjoy our little "vacation" and not put any pressure on ourselves." I nodded and gave him a light kiss before looking around at the cabin.

"Aw Jake, our first home!" I said jokingly. He rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Nah, our first home is going to be way better than this!"

"Oh yeah?" I asked, playing along. "How so?"

"Well first of all, it's going to be on the beach and a lot bigger than this!" His eyes suddenly lit up. "With a five car garage and enough tools and parts to last me a lifetime!"

Weeks went by and there was still no news about Leah or the Choctaws. I was beginning to wonder how long we would have to stay away. We spent most everyday going for walks and hunting in the woods. The weather didn't effect us, so we made sure no one was around when we were outside.

We saw park rangers from time to time, bundled inside there jeeps. In an few weeks they would be gone though, the weather would be too frigid to be in.

One night after dinner, we laid next to each other on the bed. I starred into Jake's face, realizing that he was the only person on this earth that I truly needed.

"When we get married, can we have lots of kids?" I asked suddenly. I saw his eyebrows rise.

"Married? Aren't I supposed to ask you first?" He laughed. I shrugged my shoulders.

"Yes, but that doesn't mean I can't think about it." He lifted himself onto his elbow to look back at me.

"What makes you think I want to marry you anyways? For all you know, this old wolf might not want to settle down. Maybe I want to play the field a little more.." He teased. I slapped his arm and laughed.

"Oh really? Well, perhaps you're right." I said flatly. He frowned at my response.

"Right about?" He inquired. I smiled to myself.

"Well, I never did get to finish what I started with Eli, I would hate to just _settle_..." With that Jake pulled me to him and kissed my face.

"No way! You are _mine_!" He held me tightly in his arms and kissed me softly.

"I could stay here forever." He whispered. I eyed him suspiciously.

"Are you serious?" I asked. He grinned at me.

"With you yes. I'll admit it's not the most _ideal _location, but you are here and that's all I need.'' I breathed in his scent and wrapped a blanket around us.

"I love you." I breathed, as I started to fall asleep.

In the middle of the night, I heard Jacob making strange sounds. I flipped over to see his his body in a ball and his face twisted up.

"Jake! What's wrong?" I asked hurriedly. His eyes lifted to mine in terror.

"I'm freezing." I felt my heart drop.

"How are you freezing?" I asked worriedly. Jake tried to answer, but his violent shaking was preventing him from speaking. Panic shot through me as I ran over to the closet and grabbed all the blankets I could find. I covered him up and then threw more wood onto the fireplace, trying my hardest to get the fire going.

"Sssssssam." He finally broke out. I nodded and ran to grab the phone. I dialed Sam's number as fast as I could.

"Hello?" I heard Sam's sleepy voice ask.

"Sam, it's Nessie. Something's wrong with Jake!" I yelled into the phone.

"What happened?" He asked, fear flooding his voice. I looked over at Jake, all covered in blankets.

"I don't know, he woke up freezing." There was a pause on the other line as I waited patiently for some sort of direction.

"Sam!" I shouted.

"Freezing?" He asked in disbelief. I groaned loudly.

"Yes Sam! I covered him with blankets and there's a fire, but he's still shaking." I could hear Jake's chattering teeth over the pounding of my heart.

"I heard you Nessie, but Jake can't be freezing, he's a..." Suddenly Sam's voice stopped abruptly.

"Sam? Sam? Hello?" I cried out in panic.

"Oh my God," I heard him say quietly. "He's stopped phasing."


	10. Chapter 10

**Thanks for all the reviews and alerts! Sorry it's been a while since I last updated. This chapter is short, but I promise the next one will be much longer! I will do my best to get the last chapters up as soon as I can! Hope you like it! :) **

**10.**

I turned to look at Jake's shaking frame as Sam's words hit me.

"Stopped phasing." I repeated. Jake's eyes met mine in disbelief.

"Nessie, you've got to keep him warm. Cover him with anything you can find. Do you have any hats there?"

"I'll check the emergency equipment." I said.

"Good. I'm going to talk with your family, we'll send someone to help you. Just stay put and keep him warm." I hung up the phone and ran outside to the shed.

The snow was getting deeper and the wind was blowing at least 50 mph. I grabbed the shed door and threw it open, causing it's hinges to break. The supplies were boxed and labeled. I tossed the boxes around until I came across the oxygen tank and thermal blankets. Hurriedly, I grabbed the box and headed or the door.

"Ness?" I heard Jake call once I was back inside.

"Jake, it's going to be okay. I talked to Sam and he's going to send someone." I covered him with the thermals and wrapped one around his head. His face was white and he had a tint of blue on his lips. I felt my eyes tear up as I watched him. I leaned forward and pressed my lips against his. He gave me the strongest smile he could manage.

"You're warm," He stuttered. "I remember when your mom was freezing up on that mountain and I had to keep her warm. Funny being on the other end of it now." I rolled my eyes.

"I _really_ don't want to hear that story Jake. I know what was going through your mind and honestly, it kinda grosses me out." I told him. He laughed and shook his head.

"If you think that's bad, imagine what goes through my head about _you_." He laughed. I smacked his arm and laid next to him.

"Happy to see you've got your humor back." I said sarcastically. He smiled and rested his head on my shoulder.

"Don't be scared Ness. I'm going to be fine." He whispered. I placed my lips to his for a few more minutes until he drifted back to sleep.

I spent the whole night restocking the fire and making sure Jake stayed warm enough. His shaking began to slow down around six am and I finally allowed myself to sleep.

Around nine am I heard the phone ring.

"Hello?" I asked.

"Renesmee it's Sam." I breathed in a sigh of relief.

"Thank God. Have you figured this out yet?" I asked desperately.

"I talked with the elders and the only explanation we could come up with, is that you are his imprint."

He answered.

"But I'm half vampire." I reminded him.

"Yes, but as his imprint, you are not a threat to him. There must not be any vampires near you, and you two have been gone long enough that his body felt safe enough to stop phasing." I sighed loudly.

"When will someone be coming? We need to get him out of here."

"I'm calling from the airport. Jasper and Edward are with me. We'll be there in about five hours. Just keep him warm and we'll figure it all out when we get there."

"Okay, thank you." I hung up the phone and looked back at Jacob's bundled body.

"Hold on Jake, help's on the way."

Four hours later, I heard a loud knock at the door.

"They're here!" I cried out smiling widely at Jake. Jake sat up.

"Oh man, Sam better have brought every one of those vampires." He mumbled. I ran to the door and swung it open.

"Thank God your," I gasped loudly. There standing in front of me was Leah.

"What are you doing here?" I asked softly. She rolled her eyes at me and pushed past me.

"I was engaged to Sam remember? Didn't you think I'd figure out where they'd hide you?" She snarled. Jake rose up in anger.

"Traitor!" He shouted at her. She crossed her arms and stared at him.

"I'm not the traitor Jacob."

"The hell you aren't!" He shouted at her.

"Why, because I left your pitiful excuse for a wolf pack? Well guess what, I'm now apart of a real pack who has zero tolerance for vampires or those who associate with them." She informed him sarcastically before nodding in my direction.

"We're taking her." She stated. I took a step backwards at her words. Jake walked slowly towards her, his giant body shaking from the cold.

"You aren't touching her got it Leah?" His eyes were black with fury.

"Who's "we"?" I asked quietly. She grunted and opened the door.

"See for yourself Leech." I gasped and covered my mouth. Outside at least one hundred giant black wolves covered the snowy ground. All of them were in attack position, growling and salivating at me. Jake was suddenly at my side, never letting his fear show through his strong features. I grabbed his arm and buried my face into his shoulder, knowing that all hope was gone.

"Jake, there's nothing we can do. You are weak and I can't fight them all." I whispered. He looked down at me.

"I know Ness." His voice was filled with defeat, something I had never heard in him.

"Give her to us Jacob, there's no point in being stubborn." Leah said. Jake turned to her.

"What are you going to do to her?" He asked quietly. She laughed bitterly.

"Don't play dumb, you know very well what we're going to do." They starred each other down before Jake finally broke the deafening silence.

"She's not going anywhere." He growled. He wrapped his arm protectively around me as he took a step towards the porch, ready for whatever was to come. Once outside, the frigid breeze hit him like a ton of bricks, causing him to collapse to his knees.

"Jake!" I cried. I quickly re wrapped the blankets around his body. He held his hand out to me, silently asking for my help. I pulled him up slowly, keeping my eye on the wolves.

Holding him steady, I looked up at his towering figure.

"Don't do this, let them take me." I begged desperately. "There's no use in fighting this, we _can't _win. Please, let them take me." He looked down at me, determination suddenly flooding his face.

"No," He said firmly. "Not without a fight." The wolves began to pace back and forth, waiting for the right moment to attack.

"Please Jake," I whispered.

He kissed my forehead lightly.

"I'm sorry, I can't." He said gently. Leah jumped in front of Jake.

"What's wrong with you? Why aren't you phasing?" She demanded. Jake stood as tall as he could, holding onto his already damaged pride. It hurt to see him this way, especially knowing it was my fault.

"He's stopped phasing," I said quietly. "Because of me."

Jake shook his head.

"No Nessie. Don't blame yourself." He told me. I was about to respond when I saw something out of the corner of my eye running towards us.

It was a huge wolf, much bigger any other I'd seen. I braced myself for the impact when the wolf suddenly transformed in front of me, becoming an older, tall, muscular man with a strong face.

As the man began to move towards us, Jake pushed me behind him, a low growl beginning to course through his body. The man took no notice of Jacob's warning, and continued to walk towards us until he was but a few feet away.

"My name is Oka Laha Homma, I am the Choctaw tribe's Alpha." He informed. "We have come for the vampire," He acknowledged Jacob. "Give her to me, and we will let you go without punishment."

"Punishment for what exactly?" Jake pushed.

"Like you don't know you piece of..." Leah interrupted. The man held his hand up silencing her.

"Leah told us of your pack's betrayal. It will not be tolerated. You know as well as I, that _it's_ kind," He pointed at me. "Are monsters!" I shuddered at word, surprised at how much it hurt.

"One may argue that you are as well," Jake challenged. "And _her _name is Renesmee. She is a hybrid, born of a female human and a male vampire. She is innocent, and has never spilled human blood. Her family hunts animals, just like you do. She isn't a threat to anyone." Jake held me tightly behind him, his once strong arms bringing me as much comfort as possible.

Oka Laha Homma's eyebrows creased.

"Why are you willing to die for her Jacob Black? I find it odd that you would put one of her kind before your own." He hissed.

"She is my imprint. I'll die before you touch her." He declared. The man's eyes grew wide with shock.

"Your _imprint? _How is that possible?" He cried. I watched as the other wolves began to stir, seemingly confused.

"It doesn't matter. I wont let you take her from me." Jake replied, hatred in his voice.

"You will die." Oka Laha Homma said flatly.

"I don't care."

I watched as they silently challenged one another, my mind racing with possible ways I could get us out of this. My heart was pounding in my chest as I realized I was about to lose Jacob. _My Jake._ My mind couldn't make sense of it.

The giant group of wolves repositioned themselves, ready to strike at any moment. I held tightly to Jake's arm which just days ago, was as strong as my own. He was so weak in his human form. _Oh!_

"You can't hurt humans!" I blurted out. Leah grunted loudly.

"You're not a human, leech!" I ignored her words and turned my eyes to Oka Laha Homma.

"I'm not, but he is!" I said pointing at Jake. "He stopped phasing, he's no longer one of you. You _can't hurt him_."

"What makes you think we can't?" He asked coldly. I used my strength to push Jake behind me, not allowing him to try and stop me.

"You aren't allowed to harm humans. I know all about your rules and that's number one." I reminded him.

"I'm sure there are exceptions to that rule, especially when the human is guarding a vampire." He shot back. I closed my eyes.

"Then if you take me, you _cannot_ lay a finger on him, got it?"

He looked behind him at the pack before giving me a nod.

"You have our word." He assured me. I nodded back at him before turning around to face Jacob. His eyes were filled with terror.

"No Nessie! I am not going to let this happen! I'll take care of this." He shouted. I grabbed his hand and guided him into the cabin. He fought me, but his human strength was useless against mine.

"Stay in here and keep warm. Sam will be here soon to take you home." I instructed him.

"Are you insane?" He cried. "I'm not going to stay in here while they kill you!" I cupped his cheek and kissed him softly.

"It's going to be fine, I have a plan." I lied. "Please just promise me you'll stay in here!" I begged him. His head shook back and forth in protest. I sat him down next to the fire.

"You've watched watched over me my whole life, Jake," I said softly. "It's my turn to make sure _you're_ safe. I am doing this." He closed his eyes in defeat before giving me a small forced smile.

"Don't get yourself killed kid, I really don't want your dad to kick my ass." I laughed quietly as he pulled me into a hug.

"I love you Renesmee. You better know what you're doing." He kissed me hard before letting me out of his grasp. I held back tears as I said what I was sure would be my last words to him.

"I love you too Jake."

We smiled at each other for a moment before I stood up, forcing myself to be brave. I walked back outside to face my death.


	11. Chapter 11

Getting closer to the end! Thanks again for reading and reviewing!

**CHAPTER 11.**

I held my head as high as I could, hoping that it would disguise some of my fear. Leah crossed her arms and grinned wickedly as I made my way down the porch steps. I took a deep breath and looked Oka Laha Homma in the eye.

"Promise me again." I said loudly. If I was to die, I needed to know that Jake would live.

"You have my word." He vowed. I thought of Sam and my family coming, knowing the harm they'd be in if they arrived while they were still here. I couldn't let anyone of them get hurt. Not because of me.

"Swear you won't leave any part of me behind for him to see," I choked. "and that you'll do it quickly and leave immediately after." I demanded. He nodded smugly and turned back towards the wolves.

"Wait!" I called. He turned back to me, his face annoyed.

"Swear it."

"I swear." He said. I breathed in a sigh of relief, knowing that my family would be okay. I nodded and took a step forward, surrendering myself. Leah phased and joined the rest of the wolves in anticipation of my demise.

The growling grew louder as two larger wolves stepped out of the pack. They slowly began to circle me, their eyes focused on my body. I could feel their breath as they grew closer and closer. I closed my eyes and awaited their strike.

I began to wonder if it would hurt, or if it would be over so fast I wouldn't even feel it. Then my thoughts wondered to my family. My death would kill them, especially my parents. Thinking of the pain it would cause them made me sick. They would never be able to have another child, I was their only chance. I was their miracle.

Then I thought of Jacob. I still knew very little about imprinting, but I knew enough that he wouldn't recover from this. I knew he'd seek revenge, and would die for it. Apart of me hoped he would stop phasing for good, then he wouldn't be able to successfully go after them. I felt my heart sink, knowing that we wouldn't ever be together again. We'd never get married or have children. I would be dead, and in a way so would he. There was no future for us.

Hundreds of thoughts and memories danced through my mind in the moments leading up to what I knew was inevitable. Panic and fear was hitting me when suddenly comfort washed over me. _Comfort? _

"Stay back!" I heard Oka Laha warn. My eyes flew open to see Jasper, Sam, and my dad standing in front of me.

"Don't you worry now, baby girl," Jasper whispered, showering me with comforting vibes. "We'll take care of this."

My dad put his arms in front of me, creating a wall of protection.

"Stay behind me!" He ordered. I hugged his back tightly.

"Dad there's too many." I cried.

"It's going to be alright, where's Jacob?" He asked. I was about to tell him when I heard a crashing noise behind me. I whirled around and grinned widely. There on top of the broken front door, was Jake, his giant russet form growling wildly.

He leaped over us and landed in front of my dad, his large wolf form standing protectively in front of us. The two large wolves backed away, watching us closely debating their next move.

"Don't do this," Sam told Oka Laha. "They are not like others."

"Who are you?" Oka Laha demanded. Sam held his hands up, showing them he wasn't going to try anything.

"Sam Uley. I'm the Alpha of the Quileute pack." Oka Laha eyed Sam.

"I see. So you are the leader of the traitorous pack. Are you aware of the risk you have put on not just your people, but mine as well?" He starred down Sam.

"They are not going to hurt anyone. They have fought with us before, and have helped save many lives. They care about protecting human life just as much as we do." Sam said.

"Impossible, they nothing but disgusting leeches." He huffed. He then turned his attention to his pack, signaling the attack.

"Please! They hate what they are just as much as you do! It's not their fault!" He cried. Oka Laha got in Sam's face.

"What kind of Alpha gives vampires their trust?" He asked. "And what kind of a wolf imprints on one?" He threw at Jacob. Jake growled furiously at him. "They must be destroyed now."

"You don't know what you're doing! This isn't necessary! They are a _great_ _ally_." Sam pushed desperately.

"I only want my daughter," My dad interrupted. "Please, just let me take her home, you'll never hear of us again."

"Enough!" The man shouted, ignoring my father. "They are our _enemies! _They have obviously tricked you with their lies, but I am not that easily taken. Now stand aside!" He ordered Sam. The wolves began to approach us again, ignoring Sam's pleas. Sam phased quickly, joining Jake in front of us. Tension filled the air as we waited for the fight. We were all going to die.

"At ease!" Jasper shouted with authority, causing both sides to freeze. Jasper cleared his throat and threw his shoulders back into a military stance.

"Oka Laha Homma," He called out. "I never thought the day would come when I would be disappointed in you." We looked at Jasper in confusion. He nodded towards us before turning back.

"How do you know my name?" He asked in confusion. Jasper chuckled softly.

"Surely you must remember who I am, considering that I was the one who taught you how to lead your men." He said pleasantly. Oka Laha's face went white.

"Major Jasper Whitlock?" He asked in disbelief. I looked at my father who's mouth twisted up in surprised satisfaction.

"The very same sir." Jasper assured him. "It's been a long time."

"How are you.." Oka Laha stuttered. Jasper nodded knowingly.

"The night I went missing, I had stopped to assist some woman I thought were in need of help. I was then attacked, however it wasn't a human who attacked me, it was a vampire. I was changed to this, against my will."

"I am sorry to hear that Major Whitlock, but you are still a vampire. I have to protect my people." Oka Laha told him. Jasper took in a deep breath.

"As I recall, I spent many years protecting _your_ people too. Is that kind of loyalty so easily forgotten?"

Oka Laha almost looked ashamed, unable to answer.

"I trained you to be a leader Oka Laha Homma," He stated. "Apart of being a leader, is knowing that what you're "supposed" to do, isn't always the right thing to do. You don't always find the correct course of action in any rule book or manual. Sometimes we must make decisions based on our gut feeling. " He pointed in our direction.

"My family and I are supposed to feed on human blood. It is embedded in us and we can't change that. We can however, and _have_, made the decision to do what's _right_. It is a difficult choice for us, because of what we are and what our bodies crave, but we do not falter. Each of us were somehow left with a conscious, and we live by what it tells us to do." He walked over to us and put his hand on my dad's shoulder.

"We are not a threat to you, the Quileutes, or anyone else for that matter. We are a family that loves one another and wants nothing more than to stay together. I cannot make you trust me, I know the way your kind views ours. All I can do, is give you my word as a major, that all we have said is true."

Oka Laha looked at each of us, trying to decide his next move.

"And what about those two," he said pointing to Jacob and Sam.

My dad let go of me, and placed his hand on Jacob's shoulder.

"Jacob has always protected my family, even when it hurt him." He smiled softly at Jake, sharing old memories with him through his mind. "He is a good man, a brave man. He is apart of our family and as dear to me as my own brothers." Jake bumped his arm with a loving nudge. My father smiled back at him and patted his giant back.

"Hopefully one day, a _long_ time from now," He added, throwing a serious look at me. "I will give my only daughter to him, and I will do it with great joy."

"And Sam Uley?" Oka Laha inquired.

Jasper smiled at Sam with genuine admiration.

"He is a born leader. When human life is threatened, he looks beyond our differences and his own prejudices, to fight with us. He has become our friend, and we will be forever in dept to him for all he has done."

Sam and Jake sat up straighter, obviously taking in the ego boost. Oka Laha rubbed his chin, looking at all of us over and over again. Without warning, Leah was suddenly at his side, in human form.

"What are you doing?" She hissed. "You can't _possibly_ be considering letting them _go_!"

"I am simply weighing the options." He replied quietly. Leah threw her hands up in the air.

"_Are you crazy_? Have you _lost_ your mind?" She yelled at him. "The _only_ option is to rip their evil bodies apart!"

"You will remain silent Leah! Get back with the others!" He commanded her. She ignored him and charged towards me, stopping only a few feet in front of me. My father was about to go for her when I shook my head. It was time I stood up to Leah.

"This is your fault you disgusting hybrid! If it wasn't for you, we would have killed your family years ago and Jacob wouldn't be such a whipped little puppy!" She screamed at me. I closed the gap between us and held her angry gaze.

"You're the only one who has an issue with it Leah!" I yelled back. "Everyone else accepted Jake and I but you," I pointed a finger in her face. "You are just angry and bitter. You think that because you are alone, no one else should get to be happy. Well guess what? I am happy, _deliriously_ happy and you will never take that away from me!" Leah's face grew scarlet with fury.

"Wanna bet leech?" She challenged.

It only took half of a second before her wolf form was slamming into Jacob's side.


	12. Chapter 12

CHAPTER 12.

The sound of Leah crashing into Jake was deafening. Though it wasn't expected, he quickly recovered and threw himself at her. It was a flash of teeth and claws as they fought with such anger I could feel it radiating off them.

I couldn't take it anymore, it was if I could feel every wound she gave him.

"Jake!" I screamed, bounding towards them.

"Renesme get back her! Jacob can take care of this!" My dad yelled. I ignored him, grabbing whatever part of her I could and yanking her off of him, throwing her into the side of the cabin. Her body crashed through the thick wall, leaving a huge hole. I quickly turned to Jake.

"Are you okay?" I asked desperately. He nodded and began nudging me with his nose, trying to make me leave. I stood my ground. He was _not_ going to tell me what to do now.

"I'm not going Jake." I said through clenched teeth. He whined anxiously and kept pushing me. Leah climbed out of the cabin, pausing only a moment before springing forward and knocking me across the yard. I landed hard, wincing at the pain. I looked up to see Jake attack her from behind causing them roll around fighting for dominance. Leah suddenly got on top of Jake, and viciously began biting and pulling tuffs of fur off of his back. I began to see blood on her face and panic took over.

"Somebody do something!" I screamed. As if my words took him out of some sort of trance, Sam hurdled towards them, butting Leah off him in one powerful strike. Leah growled furiously at Sam before continuing her assault of Jake. Jake yelped loudly as she bit his shoulder repeatedly. I screamed out in terror as my dad and Jasper held me back. Sam charged at her once more, his large mouth grabbing her by the neck and pinning her to the ground.

Jake slowly stood up, blood dripping from his body. Relief washed over me as I ran to meet him halfway.

Once I reached him, he collapsed at my feet. "Dad help!" I yelled over my shoulder. He and Jasper were at my side in a second. I cried as Jacob made the most heartbreaking noises as they worked over him, ribbing their shirts to use as bandages.

"Renesmee, go get the first aid kit out of the shed!" My father instructed. I nodded and went to retrieve it. Sam and Leah's fight continued outside, neither one of them giving up or backing down. I shuttered every time I heard Sam's painful cries.

I tore through every box until I finally found the white case with the familiar red cross on top. I raced back to Jacob's side, relieved he was now in his human form.

I handed the kit to my dad before grabbing Jake's hand and covering it with a dozen soft kisses. He gave me a strained smile.

"It's not the worst I've had." He joked, giving my dad a wink.

"This time I think you only broke your shoulder," Dad informed him. "Bella will be quite relieved that you aren't in a body cast this time." Jasper and dad gently placed Jake's arm in the sling as I covered his wounds with antiseptic and bandages. Jake's eyes suddenly went wide before a low painful groan came from his throat.

"Oh Sam." Jacob whispered, gently pushing us away.

Just then a blood curdling scream came from behind us, and I turned around to see Sam's human figure kneeling next to Leah's. Jake jumped up and sprinted towards them, hissing from the pain the running caused him.

We watched as Jake threw himself down on the ground next to Sam. He placed one of his large hands on Sam's shoulder, trying calm him down as the sobs grew louder. I felt my heart stop.

Dad shook his head slowly. "It didn't have to end this way," He said quietly. "She was just too damn stubborn." I covered my mouth and walked towards the grief stricken bodies.

Once I was directly behind them, I saw Leah's limp body laying in front of them.

"Oh no!" I cried. Jake pulled me down to him and held my hand. I looked at Sam's heartbroken face and knew at that moment, that he had never stopped loving her. It may not have been the type of love that he had for Emily, but it was defiantly love. A love that at one time had been uncomplicated and naïve to the unfairness of the world. I closed my eyes and let the tears fall repeatedly down my face. I thought about Seth who had just lost a sister and of Emily, who in many ways did as well.

"Sam, I'm so sorry I caused all of this." I choked out. He lowered his head, taking a few moments to wipe the tears away and compose himself.

"It's my fault," He said quietly. "She wasn't always this way, she used to be so happy and full of life. Apart of her died when I imprinted on Emily, and now I've finished the job." He cried before breaking down again. Jacob squeezed Sam's shoulder.

"She attacked us Sam! Don't you dare do this to yourself! She could have chosen to forgive you, and eventually found her own happiness. Instead she chose to leave us and betray all of us out of spite. _She _did this Sam, not you."

Sam shook his head.

"I understand that Jacob, but I betrayed her first," He took Leah's hand in his and covered it lovingly with the other.

"I'm so sorry for all the pain I put you through," He whispered softly. "I hope you know that."

Jake helped Sam to his feet with his good arm. He waved over Jasper to pick up Leah's body.

"Wait," Sam said, causing Jasper to stop. Sam ran his fingers through his hair before walking towards the Choctaw tribe who were watching with solemn expressions.

"You were her new tribe, her new family," Sam told them. "I want all of you to know that despite everything she has done, to be loved and accepted was all that she really wanted." He took in a deep breath, trying to control his emotions. "I know that she has caused problems, but would you please give her a proper burial? We are unable to take her home and she deserves peace." He stated. Oka Laha nodded before gesturing to a wolf next to him to go retrieve her body. It seemed so wrong leaving her with people who she barely knew and knowing she would spend the rest of eternity in a place that wasn't her home.

"Sam wait!" I called out. He turned to me with dead eyes.

"Yes?"

"Shouldn't Emily and Seth get a chance to say goodbye?" I asked.

"Nessie, she can't be buried on our land, she left us. She has to stay here." He replied sadly.

"If she can't be buried on your land, then bury her on ours," I offered. He looked at me like I was crazy. "We have a beautiful pond surrounded by forest. She should be close to all of you, especially them."

"Thank you Nessie, but it would be too dangerous to travel back home with her corpse. We can't risk it and Emily and Seth will understand that." He told me. Jasper took a step forward.

"I can carry her home." He said kindly. "I can take to the trees if there are humans near by. I can assure you I won't be spotted. " Sam looked at us, still not convinced.

"No no. I appreciate the offer, but we will have to file a missing person report and the police will be looking for her. I can't risk your family getting tied up in this. It would be easier to just leave her here."

My dad smiled warmly at him.

"Jasper will not be caught and there's no reason for the police to suspect us. If they ever do, we'll know ahead of time and will deal with it. Please let us help bring her home Sam, she should be somewhere where you all can visit her."

He thought for a minute before nodding in agreement.

"Thank you for this. I know that Emily and Seth will certainly be grateful." He turned back to Oka Laha.

"Thank you for your generosity, but we will be taking her home after all."

"If we are no longer needed we should be on our way." Oka Laha announced. "We are sorry for the misunderstanding and for your loss." He shook Sam's hand before signaling the pack to leave.

As they departed, Dad turned to Sam.

"If it's alright with you, I think Jasper should take her now." Sam nodded and watched as Jasper picked her up gently. He pulled her into his chest and cradled her head.

"I will take good care of her, I promise." He told Sam and Jake sincerely before he disappeared into the wilderness.

"If you want to go with him Sam, I can tell Emily what happened and then bring her over to the Cullen's." Jake offered. Sam shook his head.

"No, I did this, she needs to hear it from me. I only hope she'll be able to forgive me."


End file.
